The Loves of the Fire Lord Zuko
by sluwhat
Summary: Alternating POVs between chapters, we see the few loves of Fire Lord Zuko starting with Mai. Except for flashbacks, everything takes place after the end of the Hundred Years War. The last chapter includes parts of LoK, but just general information. I'll add oc's in later chapters. Please review and I'll return the favor!
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1 – MAI

Zuko has run off again in the middle of the night. I awoke soon after his departure, and watched him lightly tread through the night until the dark engulfed his swift figure.

Since the end of the Hundred Year War and his subsequent coronation, many changes had come about. Avatar Aang had collaborated with Zuko to create the Harmony Restoration Movement. Zuko had recently been working to remove Fire Nation colonies from the Earth Kingdom. In some sections, especially those close to Ba Sing Se, his efforts were met with eagerness to return home. In others he was met with stubbornness and resistance. Some of the colonies that were longer established had intertwined with the Earth Kingdom.

Zuko's journey to Yu Dao had revealed some of these relationships to His Highness. Earth and Fire nation peoples had learned to live together despite their differences. That trip had been another he had failed to inform me of. I had to discover his whereabouts through city guards, much like a commoner would. Upon his return, heavy bags had placed themselves beneath his golden eyes. I buried my fury and tried to console him. He had been exhausted and stressed. After multiple attempts on his life, Zuko lived in constant paranoia and uncertainty nowadays. He was no longer a Prince, but the Fire Lord. Great responsibility had weighed on his shoulders since the coronation.

.o00o.

My love for the Fire Prince began when I was young. He was not yet maimed. While Azula and Ty Lee practiced cartwheels and other acrobatics in the gardens, I remained slumped under the shade of a nearby tree, watching for a glimpse of the perfect boy who lived with my best friend.

Nearly any moment Zuko was on the grounds of the Royal Palace, his mother was with him. Princess Ursa was beautiful and kind, making it difficult to comprehend why she had married Prince Ozai. Azula had remarked to me and Ty Lee before that Ursa believed her daughter was a monster. Azula believed something quite different. Her thought was all of the royal family's boiling rage had been dispensed into her. All the way from Fire Lord Sozin, the murderous fire in the royal patriarchs was combined in her. It explained many things, such as her obvious disdain for her brother and her constant tormenting him.

I had then feared Azula, and did not dare speak out against her actions towards Zuko. Part of me believed if he was strong enough to be part of the fiery royal family, he would stand up for himself. But in his childhood, he never did.

.o00o.

Fifteen minutes since Zuko disappeared. I have yet to move from my vantage point. Sometimes his actions make me furious: the running around, the deceit, the quietness, the refusal to confide in me. I was his girlfriend for dragons' sake! With no family left, I'm the closest thing he has. Uncle Iroh permanently moved to Ba Sing Se after he reclaimed it for the Earth Kingdom. He reopened the Jasmine Dragon in the Upper Ring. From his most recent letter, it seemed his shop was doing very well and drawing a crowd of the city's most important and influential citizens daily. Iroh had a gift for wedging a way into people's hearts and souls, whether through his words of wisdom or exquisite tea.

Now twenty minutes…

.o00o.

At my uncle's prison, located in Boiling Rock, I fended off the Fire Nation guards to save Zuko, my uncle, as well as a few of the Avatar's other friends. Azula was furious that I had saved her brother's life and began to attack. Before she could deal the first blow, Ty Lee disabled her. Azula ordered the both of us to be imprisoned. That was better than death by fire, I guess.

Prison life proved to be just as uneventful as living in Omashu. The guards had stripped me of all my toys, leaving me bored and defenseless. Ty Lee, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy being locked up with nothing to do other than socialize. She bounced around, chattering like the Avatar's pet lemur. She made many friends this way, including the Kyoshi Warriors, who she later joined.

Most of my prison days were spent curled on my pallet. My thoughts continually swirled around Zuko: His half-scarred face watching me save him from the gondola, that awful letter he had left me with before he joined the Avatar.

Though his betrayal had cut me deeply, my love for him was deeper still.

.o00o.

After the Yu Dao expedition, I ordered the Kyoshi Warriors to watch after my love. I feared that any more attempts to assassinate him would prove successful. That would have been most devastating to me, and not much would manage to completely destroy my soul. Only the death of the Fire Lord would lead me to take my own life. I could accidentally slip a poison into my afternoon tea. I could cause one of my arrows to deflect and rip into my chest. I could drown myself at sea. Imagine that, the dead Fire Lord's girlfriend dying at the cause of his opposite element. How tragic.

His death would leave the Fire Nation in a state of turmoil. There would be no heir to the throne, not that I would ever care. Even before the birth of my baby brother, I could not stand children. I will never bear a child. It would be raised by a nanny, I serving as its vessel into the mortal world.

Bearing on that thought still, bearing an heir to the Fire Throne would mean that I marry the Fire Lord. Being the child of a politician and watching the quiet sufferings of my mother as the wife of a politician, I had vowed young to never marry one myself. Zuko, being Fire Lord, would qualify as a politician. Even given the most perfect proposal ever by my beloved, I have conflicts as to whether I would accept.

.o00o.

Our triumphant return from Ba Sing Se to the Fire Nation was met with much cheer and celebration. Zuko was credited by Azula for killing the Avatar, which gained him the love and honor of his father.

When we first walked through the gates, first Azula, then Zuko, Ty Lee and I trailing them, many girls swooned after the Prince. I had gritted my teeth in anger. Those stupid peasant girls. They had not known him since childhood. They had not worked for his affections. They had not missed him every day since his banishment. They were fools, and did not deserve Zuko's love as I did.

After the downfalls of the other members of the royal family, Zuko had his coronation day. That day, I found him in his chambers, struggling to put on his ceremonial robe. His chest was still bandaged from Azula's lightning attack. If not for the waterbender, there may not have been a crowning that day. I assisted with dressing Zuko for the ceremony and received a loving kiss as my reward.

At the coronation, Zuko shared some of the day's glory with Avatar Aang. The crowds from all nations cheered for both men on that wonderful day.

Immediately following, a huge feast was thrown for the Fire Lord as well as the Avatar. It was held in a magnificent banquet hall right off the courtyard where the coronation had taken place. A large stage stood at one end of the room while the royal table was at the opposite end. Other tables were placed at perpendicular lines to the stage, hundreds of chairs lining them. Servants served everyone their meals, but special, more gifted servants served Aang and Zuko at the royal table.

All the happiness and joy within the volcanic crater was contagious. Several benders performed upon a stage for the crowd. Eventually, Avatar Aang got up there and performed with all four elements, creating wonderful entertainment. Even I, and I know how dark and depressing I typically am, was happy. My chest felt as though it were filled with bursting sunshine. Glancing at Zuko increased this feeling, but when our eyes would meet, my heart would explode.

I was seated next to Ty Lee at one of the center tables. My personality matched hers for the time being and we were both bubbly. The joy made everything better: the food was delicious and unlike any other I'd eaten, the colors in the room were brighter, all the people seemed attractive and bright. On that day, my happiness was so great even the worst of all tea would have been on level with Iroh's. A servant refilling my tea informed me that the Fire Lord wished to speak to me on an important matter later on that night.

As the darkness fell that evening, everyone was ushered out to the courtyard to watch the brilliant fireworks. Some very special firebenders had learned to manipulate the sparks into something more beautiful and more spectacular than normal fireworks. Feeling the energy begin to drain from my body, I began to move toward the Royal Palace. When the fireworks were over, I could simply cut through the building to my own home.

I stood, leaning my elbows against the banister of the balcony. I felt a presence suddenly behind me. As I tried to turn sharply against the invader, arms slipped around my waist and a familiar voice slid into my left ear.

"Enjoying the show?" he asked me. For my answer, I simply twisted in his arms and kissed him. I began to pull back from him, but he pushed my back into the banister, wanting a deeper kiss. He eventually ceased, resting his head on my shoulder to watch the fireworks behind me.

"What were you going to tell me?" I asked the Fire Lord.

His face then met mine. His eyes roamed to anywhere but mine and he started stammering.

"I, uh, w-w-was going…" His cheeks were blushed to a bright red. I raised my eyebrow at him. He visibly straightened up and looked me in the eye. "I made a room for you in the Royal Palace. I already arranged for a servant to deliver your things so you can sleep there tonight." He looked away, and then glanced back at me for reassurance. "I mean, it's your choice. You can sleep there, or on my old bed, or on my new bed. But that's only if you want to."

I leaned in to kiss him, placing my lips on his. "I could stand to sleep next to you tonight," I said. He simply smiled at me and kissed me again.

.o00o.

It had now been close to an hour since Zuko had left. Still in my perch, I watched as one of the Kyoshi Warriors approached the palace. Listening for her footsteps, I waited for a report on the Fire Lord. The footsteps were much heavier than Ty Lee's, and my belief was confirmed a moment later.

"Mai?" a girl's voice asked. I turned to face Suki. She was one of the original Kyoshi Warriors, and their leader.

"Suki," I said, "where is he?"

"Mai," she said, "this has been happening again and again for a while now. I figured he would have told you."

My anger boiled over. With a quick flick of my wrist, a small dagger flew into an ornate vase, shattering it. "Where is he?" I demanded.

Suki bowed her head. "He is visiting Ozai." She looked back up at me. "He has been for weeks."

I began to shiver with rage. "Wake up the best servant in this household, and instruct them to come to me straightaway." I turned back to watch the window.

"Yes, ma'am," Suki said, giving the proper gesture and fleeing the room.

The servant came; I gave him my instructions, and was soon given a voice of confirmation that my request had been fulfilled.

Another thirty minutes passed by before I saw Zuko's figure work its way back to the palace. I stood, letting my legs stretch out, and found a new spot to wait for Zuko.

His insomnia had taken a real toll on him, physically and mentally. He climbed the stairs as though he were eighty-years old. He was nearly past me when I spoke his name.

"Zuko." He jumped into an aware state, and squinted his eyes to find me in the shadows. I stepped out to where I was visible.

"Mai," he said, "why aren't you in bed?"

"I could ask the same thing, Fire Lord."

He absently scratched the back of his head. "I just went for a short walk."

"Over an hour and a half is short to you now?" I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

"It was very cleansing," he said. "I think I can sleep well now."

"Zuko, you are lying to me." I crossed my arms, prepared to stand my ground and go through with my plan.

The blank look on his face told me he was pretending to not know what I was talking about. "Suki told me. You've been visiting your father." He continued to stand in silence. I rushed to him, getting inches from his face. "Why would you not tell me? Think! If I hadn't asked the Warriors to look after you, another assassin could have killed you during your night adventures!"

He shifted his feet, trying to edge back from me. "Do you have any idea what your death would do to me? And what could your murderous father be able to tell you that I could not?" He remained speechless. I felt myself beginning to crack.

"Zuko," I said, "you've been keeping so many secrets. You didn't tell me before you left for Yu Dao. I had almost believed you dead! Or worse, a coward running from his duties." Poison began to seep into my mind and voice. "It's not like you've never done that before."

"Mai!" he yelled. "You've never been a Fire Lord! You have never dealt with the issues of this country nor cared about this nation! I do not understand how you could possibly help me! This isn't a matter of putting a gold star next to my name. 'Oh, what wonderful macaroni art, Fire Lord.' No!" He shoved me away from him, knocking me into the wall. He started away from me towards his bedroom.

"You love your secrets more than you love me," I said quietly.

This got his attention and he turned. The brightness of the full moon caught his golden eyes. They had altered from the moment before, transformed from rage into a softer emotion.

"Mai," he said, "that's not true. I'm sorry for not confiding in you." He tried grabbing my forearms to bring me closer to him. I shook my head, pushing away from him. As he made for another grab, I quickly dealt out daggers, pinning his sleeves and pant legs to the wall. He was now helpless. I turned to go downstairs. As I reached the top step, I softly heard, "Mai, I love you." I paused for a moment, but my mind had been made up.

I descended the stairs and went through the palace to the other side Zuko had not just entered through. A carriage awaited me, loaded with all my things. I was not going to stand by as my love destroyed himself. I was resolved to move far away, into a deep corner of the Fire Nation, nowhere near the capital city.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2 – ZUKO

Mai had always come back to me. She had to come back. I faintly heard a carriage drive away, the bells joyous sounds marking a dark departure. I thought back to my coronation. "Don't ever break up with me again," she had said, stabbing her finger into my collarbone. She had not said anything about her breaking up with me.

I felt anger and distress. My thoughts were conflicting, cycling between blaming Mai and blaming myself. She was leaving me when I needed her most, but maybe I hadn't shown her that. I had been keeping her in the dark about what I was doing and where I was going. But I was the Fire Lord! As my father had told me during one of my visits to him, the actions of a Fire Lord were always correct.

Maybe Mai was better off someplace else, far away from me. What if one of the assassins trying to kill me murdered her instead? After all the death and destruction at the hands of my family during the Hundred Years War, I couldn't bear any more blood at the hands of the Fire Lord.

Oh, Mai, I thought to myself. Now I understood how she felt when I had left with just a letter. I was elusive and sly; she was more blatant and direct. She had the courage to stand up against me, and watch the pain flow into my face, while I had left a cowardly letter for her to discover.

I heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and hope filled my chest to the brim. The face that emerged was painted white with red and black make-up.

"Zuko!" she cried. "What happened?"

"Mai," I murmured, straining against the daggers. As she got closer, I realize this Kyoshi Warrior was Suki.

"Oh, did she leave?" she asked.

I hung my head. "Yes, she did."

Suki bowed in front of me on the floor. "Fire Lord, please accept my apology, but I believe it is my fault. I told her where you were."

Fire crackled through me, burning through my fingertips. In the next second, I calmed myself. My travels with Uncle Iroh had been very good to me. I managed to pick up parts of his peace and forgiveness through exposure.

"Suki, I accept your apology," I said. "Now please release me from the wall."

"Yes, Fire Lord," she said, standing. She deftly pulled the sharp instruments from the wall and freed me. "Would you like for me to send up a servant to bring you some tea before you rest?"

I sighed and thought no tea could compare to Uncle's. "No, thank you. I'll be fine."

"As you wish," she said. "I'll post two Warriors outside your chamber door tonight."

"Thank you, Suki," I said, turning and retiring to my bed.

Sleep came surprisingly quick after weeks of insomnia. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was asleep. My dreams throughout the night were livid. Mai starred in many of them. In some, I was rescuing her. I had found the prison she and Ty Lee were locked into and bailed them out. I relived childhood with her. Ember Island made a return but instead of returning to me, she stayed there with the admiral's son.

In the last dream, I was in that gondola above the boiling water with the Warden as my hostage. This time, Mai aided the guards cutting the cable to the car, laughing as she did so. She allowed her broken heart to best her. Her voice was loud and clear as I plunged to my death in the water. _You love your secrets more than you love me. _ Right before my body was going to hit the hot water, I woke up. I sat up fast, making my head feel light. A cold sweat covered my chest and neck. My heart was pounding, causing my breaths to be ragged.

"Are you alright, Fire Lord?" one of the Kyoshi Warriors asked through the closed door.

"Yes, yes," I muttered. "I'm fine."

I lay back down and a deep black overpowered me, pulling me into the deepest sleep I had in weeks.

Hands were upon my back as I slept on my stomach. I felt them, and woke up instantly. Instead of immediate action, I continued to lie there, waiting for the most opportune moment to strike. The hands began to warm my cold shoulders, and my paranoia receded. _Mai_.

"Fire Lord Zuko," a voice said, "did I ever tell you the early morning has gold in its mouth?" The hands came off my back. "Now, I know you're awake, so please enlighten me as to why you're still in bed." I propped up on my elbows to face Uncle Iroh.

"Uncle!" I quickly rose and made the respectful hand gesture to him.

"Zuko, Zuko," he said, gesturing for me to stop with his hands. "The Fire Lord should not make a bow to anyone."

"Oh but Uncle, I owe everything to you," I said. "You-"

Uncle held up his hand. "Stop. You can tell me such things later." He paused to chuckle. "Surely you are wondering why I am here instead of Ba Sing Se."

"Yes, why are you here?"

"The Kyoshi Warriors sent me a message via hawk two days ago requesting me to visit you. They have been worried, Nephew."

"How did you get here so quickly?" I asked.

"Ba Sing Se has come a long way since we stayed there, 'Lee'. A mechanist lives there and produces great machines that travel faster than any animal. You will see it and ride in it on our journey," he said, folding his hands into his sleeves and walking out of the bedroom.

"Journey?" I asked, running out after him.

"Yes, Zuko." Uncle turned to face me, hands still in his sleeves. "Why do you think I came? To eat and run?" He chuckled and shook his head. "No, no, Fire Lord. You are taking a vacation with me back to Ba Sing Se."

"But, Uncle," I said, beginning to sweat, "I have a duty here now. The Fire Nation needs me right now."

"From what the Warriors told me, you are not stable, my nephew. You need some real rest and time away from this vast, lonely palace," he said, gesturing around.

My palms begin to burn from my anger. "And what in the world would I do in Ba Sing Se, like I wasn't bored enough the first time!"

"Remember, spending time with your old uncle helped you before in finding your own way. Let's give that another go, Fire Lord."

"Uncle," I said with my head hanging. I sounded weak, and hearing that in my voice infuriated me. "Who will be in power while I'm gone?"

Uncle Iroh placed his great hand on my shoulder. "No decisions will be made in your absence. Just simple peace-keeping and order kept by the Kyoshi Warriors and Fire Nation guards. The Warriors themselves came up with the idea. You are the descendant of our previous Avatar, and the friend of our current one. The Warriors will always be on your side."

I raised my eyes to look at him. "The decision was made without me. I have no choice but to accept."

"Path of least resistance, Nephew," he said. Uncle dropped his hand from my shoulder. "But before we leave, we'll drink tea in the palace together!"

I followed him blinding to the modest sitting room. Because of the new Fire Nation attitude, I was focusing part-time on redecorating the Royal Palace. The sitting room had been stripped of its previous, garish décor, and had not been redone yet.

A servant bowed to Uncle Iroh, avoiding eye contact. "Tea?" the servant asked.

"Just bring me the pot and leaves. I like to make my own," he replied, smiling widely at the servant. The timid girl looked up at him and made a small smile before fetching the items.

I sat in my place at the head of the table with Uncle on my right side. Using his firebending, he heated the pot of water and added the leaves. He continued to gently warm it using his palm. A few minutes later, he smiled with satisfaction and poured our cups. He pressed mine against my limp hand.

As I took a cautious sip of the tea, my thoughts finally caught up to me. "Wait, Uncle, you said the Warriors sent you a message two days ago. But…"

Again, he held up his hand to interrupt me. "They have been greatly worried about you for some time. But they had no clue that the events of last night were going to occur. That is pure coincidence."

I hung my head, my hair falling around my face. In my stress, it had been a while since my last haircut. I thought of Mai leaving me stuck to the wall and felt tears sting my eyes.

"Zuko," Uncle said, swirling his cup, "her name means 'plum blossom'. This you may already know. When she started being with you, she was curled into a tight bud." He made a fist with his free hand. "Through your love and relationship with her, she bloomed into something beautiful and free." He spread his palm as a demonstration. "You did her much good. I know being left hurts, Nephew, but take joy in the fact that you assisted her on her own journey to find her path."

Any retort I would have said as an angry sixteen-year old was lost to me. I placed my chin on the table with no response. Uncle Iroh knew I had received his message, and stopped the conversation. I was vaguely aware of my surroundings and everything happening around me. Uncle told a servant to pack some of my things for our journey, and to ready his vehicle. He instructed me to dress and wash up a bit before we departed, and I obeyed. Soon, we were ready to leave for Ba Sing Se.

We stepped out into the bright afternoon sun, Uncle's vehicle glinting in front of us. It was flashy, and designed for air, sea, or land. Of course, it was a brilliant piece of machinery. But all I could see were the empty windows in Mai's house across the street. A deep melancholy filled me as I climbed into the machine.

The journey to Ba Sing Se was calm and relaxed. No trained killers could get to me in Uncle's contraption. I felt safe. He brewed me a small cup of tea to relax me, and I managed to take a nap while we were in the air above the sea. He awoke me as we approached Ba Sing Se. The great wall still existed, as did the smaller walls splitting the city by opulence.

"When I first helped the Earth Kingdom take back their prized city, they offered me a selection of grand houses with deep swimming pools and wonderful gardens, but I rejected them all. I simply asked for our apartment in the Upper Ring back. With only me, there's no need for a large space. Let a family live there," he said, pensively watching through the glass as we came to the wall.

The earthbenders at the gate recognized the insignia on the side of the vehicle and immediately opened the gates. We went to a higher altitude once inside and continued to the Upper Ring.

"So you haven't found anyone yet?" I asked, looking out on the land below us.

"No, my nephew. With my tea shop, it would be very easy to be with the wrong woman. Zuko," he said. He grabbed my shoulder, forcing me to look him in the eye. "There exist women in this world who would want you for your money or your title or your fame. Very few would also love you if you happened to be poor. I need a woman who loves me when I'm rich or poor. You do, too."

"This isn't a quest to get me married, is it?" I asked, raising my eyebrow. Suddenly, this whole "vacation" seemed like a scam.

"This trip is whatever you make of it. You could find that nice girl you had a date with, reconnect with her. You could choose to just wander the city. Whatever choice you make will be the correct choice," he said while smiling at me.

I made no response and turned back to the window. My father's words echoed in my head, his voice merging with Uncle's until they became one in the same. Strange how two brothers so far apart from each other would repeat the same thought independently.

The ship's engineer landed us into an air field of sorts. It had many, many hangars for other vehicles like this one. We climbed out, and it felt good to be back on solid ground.

Uncle Iroh patted the side of his vehicle affectionately. "I only take this for longer journeys, not for light traveling around the city. I prefer to walk for that." Back in the Fire Nation Capital, my guards preferred I didn't walk to my destinations. Slowly, it felt like many of the stresses of the Fire Nation were melting from my shoulders. In Ba Sing Se, I could choose not to be the Fire Lord for a while. This vacation thing was looking like a great idea now.

* * *

Author's Note: Uncle Iroh is so fun to write! Oh, and don't judge me for pumping these out so quickly. I'm home injured all day :(


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3 - JIN

Only two days go down in my history as the worst. One of which being, of course, the day Ba Sing Se fell to the Fire Nation at the hands of Princess Azula. The second – the day after my date with the mysterious Lee.

The day the city fell, I had never seen so much fire. It sounds stupid and naïve, but spending a safe, quiet life in Ba Sing Se had sheltered me from much of the war. The Fire Nation's numbers were astounding. So many men flooded into the city, burning buildings and capturing earthbenders who got in their way. Our prison in the outer ring was soon filled to the brim with benders and prisoners of war. The Fire Nation soon began its construction on a second prison next to the original.

Soon, I had to leave my home. My father was a bender, and was consequently thrown in jail. My mother was meek, and immediately surrendered to the brutal soldiers. We were uprooted from our home. Our family relics and belongings destroyed by the simple touch of a Fire Nation soldier. With just the clothing on our bodies, my mother and I became vagrants. We pilfered small bits of food, whether from garbage cans or plates left half-full on tables.

Eventually, my mother had collected enough things to make a sort of camp in an abandoned courtyard. A cloth slung over a tree limb made our tent. We had a small pit for lighting fires for our tea and meals. It was pitiful, but it was something.

During the camping days, I tended to wander throughout the city against my mother's wishes. She feared that I would be killed by a soldier for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. A mother's intuition always knows best.

One day, I came across two Fire Nation soldiers torturing a small boy.

"Look at how strong he is," one soldier said to the other.

"Oh, yes. He must be a bender," the second said, bringing a flame into his palm and waving it close to the little boy. Now to the little boy, "Now just tell us and our general will take it easy on you."

The little boy couldn't have been more than five-years old. He was visibly trembling and tears were gathering in the corners of his eyes. Even if he were a bender, what damage could he have possibly done? The second soldier brought the flame so close to the boy's face, its flickering tails were reflected in those small pupils.

"Stop!" I yelled, running out between the boy and the soldier. "He's just a little boy!"

"Who are you, his mother?" the first one sneered. My face reddened, but I stood my ground.

"We'll just take you instead," the second one said. He enlarged the flame in his hand and touched it to mine, deeply burning me.

Tears instantly sprang to my eyes and flowed down my cheeks. They held me down tight though I didn't make any struggle against them. Instantly, I was escorted to the second prison and placed into a cell deep beneath the earth. I had been classified as a non-bender, so they considered it safe to keep me underground.

In my cell, the pain in my hand was nearly unbearable. After a few days, I passed out from the pain and infection waging its own war beneath my skin. Only then was I given medical attention by a poorly trained healer. When I woke up on my cell bed, a thick bandage was wrapped around my hand, and it still faintly burned.

As I went to peel up the bandage, someone outside my cell spoke. "Wait a few days, Miss. If not, you'll disturb the healing process." The voice seemed to belong to a female guard out in the hall. She walked past my room. Her helmet piece covered her eyes and nose, but there was a smile on her face.

"You have suffered quite a nasty burn. Not many of these men would be able to bear it like you have. You have my respect," she said, giving me a slight bow. I kept my silence. She was, after all, still Fire Nation.

Patiently, I went through the motions of the next few days with a single hand. When the burning seemed to completely cease beneath the bandage, I began to peel it off. Pink scar tissue, much like Lee's, now covered the majority of my hand. It was tight, which made it difficult to use that hand. By that point, I was simply grateful the burn had stopped.

The female guard kept trying. She would bring my food to me at each meal, telling me to enjoy it. Her words to me seemed sincere and kind opposed to sarcastic and condescending. Even though part of me believed that she was good, I kept my words to myself and never spoke a word to her. One day, she simply disappeared.

With the female guard gone, two male guards began serving the meals to the entire hall. At the noon meal one day, they were talking and laughing.

"That Zuko, still trying so hard to be accepted back."

"If I had been there, I would have laughed in his face. Let's see if the banished Prince could've handled me." The other guard laughed uproariously.

"Hey, I heard he was living here in secret."

"No way, man."

"No, seriously. He beat Azula here by months."

"The Princess was a step behind her brother? That sure is a change from the usual."

"Oh, yeah. But get this, he and that crazy old general were living here as peasants! Imagine that! The great general Iroh and his scarred nephew living among these disgusting earth people."

"What trash. I wonder if Zuko ever took advantage of any stupid earth girls."

The other laughed again. "Zuko was too cowardly to fight his father in the Agni Kai. He failed for months in trying to capture the Avatar. He cannot stand up to his younger sister for dragons' sake! I highly doubt he even talked to any Earth Kingdom girls."

"They would have to be pretty dumb to not recognize him. That scar on his face? How would anyone be able to misidentify him?"

They laughed, and continued talking. Their voices faded as they kept down the hall.

My mind ran wild. Lee had a scar on his face. He had been awkward during our date, and shifty and withheld afterwards. Since our date, he scarcely talked to me other than to serve my tea, so I eventually stopped going to that shop. A week later when I went in, he and the old man with him were gone. Worried, I asked the shop owner what had happened to them. He'd told me they now owned their own shop in the Upper Ring.

Being a poor girl in the Outer Ring, I couldn't simply venture up into the Upper Ring. I needed an invitation and connections to even make it inside that wall. Slowly, I had trudged back to my house. I had felt as though I were stuck in my low class position heartbroken by a strange boy after one date. One simple date he had made so magical.

One thing was clear to me; I now knew how those lanterns had been lit. The beautiful lanterns around the fountain that had been dark were suddenly lit and burning bright after a short minute. Lee had used firebending to light those lanterns. He had risked exposing his secret to make me happy.

The next few days, I wished fervently that the guards would mention more of the Prince. Now I knew I had met the infamous Prince, and I wanted more information on him. Little did I know I didn't have much time to learn anymore.

One great day, I heard the pounding of hundreds of feet above me and the yells of victory. We were being emancipated. A familiar firebender freed my hall. The old man with the gray beard, the old man from the tea shop. He ran through, quickly opening all of our cells. He glanced over me, and I thought maybe I saw some recognition flash in his pupils. Before I could certainly tell, he was on to the next set of cells.

I walked out of the prison and met no resistance on the way. The sun beat its warmth into my clothes and skin for the first time in nearly a month. I felt like dancing right there in the street. Walking along with my head tilted back, my foot grazed across something that wasn't pavement. Looking down, I saw the piece of paper I was standing on. I picked it up and flipped it over. It was a wanted poster from the Fire Nation, and it featured two very familiar faces.

* * *

Author's Note - Jin's chapter is roughly a 1000 words shorter than the first two. But more of her story will be revealed in the next chapter. This is the only chapter that will have time take place during the war.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4 – ZUKO

Uncle's apartment in Ba Sing Se had not changed since I'd been there. He had even kept my humble pallet in the smaller of the two bedrooms.

"Uncle, surely you're a rich man now. Why haven't you put finer furnishings in your home?" I asked.

"I have no need to," he replied. "You add things to a home to impress others. No one visits me here, so I have no one to impress. Now the Jasmine Dragon, that's a different story." He smiled, making it obvious that tea shop was his pride and joy.

He picked up a dirty tea cup from his dining table and quickly washed it at the sink. Drying the delicate china, he turned to me. "Some things have changed in this city since you were last here." I raised my eyebrow at him. "The Earth King returned, but he now has an advising counsel instead of those Dai Li agents. Because of my involvement in reclaiming the city, he had offered me a position with the counsel, but I chose to decline. Power is no longer my pleasure, and it hasn't been in a long time." Sadness crowded Uncle Iroh's face, and I knew he was thinking of his son.

I wondered if a more proper burial had been made for my cousin now that Uncle had respect in this city. The pain of that loss was still much for Uncle to bear. If I wanted answers, I would have to hunt for them myself.

"Zuko," Uncle said, "how about you get some more rest tonight? Tomorrow, we will go see the Jasmine Dragon. I won't force you to work in my shop, though it would be appreciated." He smiled, and then bowed to me before going to his bedroom.

I trudged to my little room and lay on my back in my bed. The last night I'd spent here, I was focused on capturing the Avatar after seeing the waterbender girl outside the Jasmine Dragon. I'd not yet freed the Avatar's flying bison, nor had I been imprisoned with the waterbender in the Crystal Cove. I hadn't betrayed Uncle to return home. A year ago, I still thought my honor was my destiny.

I had been stupid.

Uncle woke me early the next morning, and forced me to take a proper bath. When I emerged, dressed of course in earth clothing, he had hot tea waiting for me on the table. I drank gratefully. No servant could ever care for you like a family member could.

He washed the pot and cups with care before we left for the Jasmine Dragon. Uncle Iroh walked the distance to his shop everyday instead of utilizing a carriage. He happily waved and greeted every person who crossed our path.

"Who ran it while you were gone?" I asked as we neared his shop.

He chuckled at me. "I am rich enough to employ a manager."

"So what do you do all day?" I asked, looking over at him.

"I drink my tea and play pai sho," he said. "That was my retirement plan, and I'm sticking to that."

The shop manager noticed us coming and opened the door for us. In the minutes before the shop officially opened, Uncle gave me a short tour. The Jasmine Dragon was beautifully furnished. All of the polished oak tables had matching runners, but different tea sets belonged at different tables.

"I've been training my manager in the secrets of brewing the best tea," Uncle said while we were in the back. "He is a patient learner. You never took much stock in patience, or tea making." He laughed and nudged me.

We came back out into the front room of the shop as the manager was unlocking the door.

"Ready for business today," he said, flipping the 'closed' sign over so it now read 'open'.

"If you wish, you can explore the city now," Uncle said. "Or you could stay and play pai sho."

I had gained respect for my uncle, but I still would not play his board game. "No thanks. I'll just look around today."

I exited the shop and paused outside. Where could I possibly go? Uncle had suggested finding Jin, the girl I'd had one date with while living in the Outer Ring as 'Lee'. Ba Sing Se was a huge city, and I had no idea on where to begin looking. I audibly sighed and went in the direction of the small shops in the Upper Ring. Maybe I could buy a few things to decorate the Royal Palace with before I returned to the Fire Nation.

Setting off toward the shops, I chose to walk. It felt nice. At home, I was never given a choice as to whether I wanted to walk or be transported. The latter made me feel as though I were livestock, rounded up and corralled.

The architecture of Ba Sing Se was very different from that inside my volcanic crater. I walked with my head up, noticing all the details of the buildings. Any people I did make eye contact with seemed to not recognize me. I released my breath of paranoia I'd been unconsciously holding in.

Staring up at a magnificent building, I crashed into someone. Jerking my head back level, the woman in front of me was on her knees, picking up the items that'd flown from her basket.

"I'm so sorry," I said. "Let me help." I got down of my knees with her and assisted in rounding up her groceries.

We both stood back up, but she kept her head lowered where her hair covered her face. "Again," I said, "I'm very sorry."

As I walked past her, she spoke. "I forgive you," she said. "Nice to see you, Lee."

Hearing my pseudonym, I quickly turned back to her, but she was walking away.

"Jin?" I called, catching up to her.

"So you noticed," she said. She was dressed in a rich dress. Before, she had been living in poverty. Her clothes had been ragged and worn the last I'd seen her. On her hands were dainty white gloves, fit for a proper lady. Her silk black hair was pulled back with ornate combs.

She was beautiful.

"How have you been?" I said, clasping her arm.

She pulled ever so slightly away. "I've been okay." She brushed an imaginary strand of hair from her face.

"You look great," I said. She nodded with a blush across her cheeks. "Well, you seem busy, but how about we meet tomorrow?"

She smiled shyly. "That would be nice. Where would you like to meet?"

"How about the Jasmine Dragon?" I said.

Her shy smile didn't stray from her face. "I love that tea shop. Midday sounds okay?"

I nodded in agreement and we parted ways. Throughout the rest of my day, I simply walked around Ba Sing Se, taking in its culture. For lunch, I stopped at a simple shop and ate a bowl of rice and vegetables. Still, no one recognized me or my scar, and I felt happy. For the first time in months, I didn't feel dread or stress.

That evening, Uncle and I sat down to a hearty meal.

"Uncle, this is practically a feast," I said.

He smiled and added more roast duck to his plate. "It is a celebration. I already feel a great change within you, Nephew."

I smiled at him and ate another mouthful. Laying down that night, I had a full stomach and a sleepy head. Being Fire Lord is great, but being invisible is better.

When I awoke the next day, Uncle had already departed. A note left on the dining table said to go to his shop for my morning tea. Since my plans were to meet Jin there anyway, I got dressed in my finest earth clothes and washed the dirt from beneath my fingernails. By the time I was fully ready, it was almost midday. Time to meet Jin.

The walk to the Jasmine Dragon was a pleasant one. It would through a few fragrant gardens as well as past some of the most magnificent buildings in the entire city. Everything seemed poured in gold and polished to glow. Dreamily, I wondered if it glowed at night.

Entering the shop, the manager greeted me happily.

"Nephew!" Uncle was sitting at his pai sho table in the corner. "Come, and meet my friends," he said, gesturing to the men sitting around him. He politely introduced me to all of them, and I said my niceties in return. None of the men called me by my title, something my former self would have been angry at but my current self was content with.

"Now Zuko, what are you here for today?"

"I found Jin yesterday. We're having tea here," I told him.

He smiled at me. "Good for you. Enjoy yourself during your stay here." He then called over the manager to show me to the best table. The manager himself took my tea order and began to brew it so it would be hot when Jin arrived.

I watched her approach the shop. Her dress was as elegant as the one from the day before. She still wore gloves on her hands. I guess she had really moved up since I had last seen her. She entered the shop, and one of the waitresses at the door directed her to my table.

"Hello, Lee," she said while seating herself. Mentally I was kicking myself for not raising and showing my respects.

"Hi," I said. "How are you today?"

"Nearly the same as yesterday," she said. She seemed to be withholding something from me, I just couldn't figure out what.

Our tea was served and we made short, awkward small talk. This was a disaster. I had thought our first date was terrible, but this one was even worse.

She was looking down into her empty tea cup and biting her bottom lip. "Would you like to see my home?" she asked.

"Sure," I said. Inside, I was hesitant. This was awful, so why was she inviting me to her place?

We exited the tea shop and as we did, it seemed like an exchange of glances passed between her and Uncle. She hailed a carriage, and we rode to her residence in silence. It was only a five minute ride, but it felt like an eternity.

The carriage stopped in front of a beautiful house. I got out first, and helped Jin out by holding her hand. When both her feet were on the ground, she quickly pulled her hand from mine. The front yard of the house had a blooming garden. I spotted a gardener pruning some roses in a distant corner of it. As we approached the front door, it opened for us. Once inside, I realized a servant had opened it for us.

Another servant quickly appeared to remove Jin's shoes from her feet and placed them on a small rack. He knelt to do the same for me, but I stopped him.

"I can do it," I told him, thinking I was saving him some work. Instead, he looked disappointed.

I followed Jin into a finely decorated sitting room. We sat on couches opposite from one another with a coffee table between us.

"Lady Jin," a female servant said, bowing, "would you and your guest like some small sweet cakes?"

"Yes, that would be lovely," Jin replied. She was courteous and kindly towards her servants.

Once the servant was gone, she looked dead at me, studying me. I waited for her to speak.

"I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see you again," she said.

"Are you glad you did?" I asked.

"Well, I would like to have some questions answered."

"Jin, about our date," I said, rubbing my neck. "Things really were complicated. I had so many other things going on."

"Like what?" she asked, raising one eyebrow at me.

I was starting to sweat nervously. Luckily, the female servant entered and bought me time. She placed the large platter of cakes in the middle of the table and two smaller plates in front of Jin and me. She placed a few cakes on our respective plates and left the room.

"Well?" Jin said.

I exhaled. "It would be best if you did not know."

She smiled at me, but it was not a pretty smile. It was a smile much like the ones Azula used to give. "Tell me again what I know about you."

My palms felt slick, and a flush was creeping up my neck and into my face. "My name is Lee. I was a refugee of the war. I worked in a tea shop with my uncle until he was offered his own in the Upper Ring."

I waited for a response from her. She gave none. Instead, she pursed her lips and held up a single gloved finger. "Wait here, I just remembered something." She rose and left the room, but quickly returned. She placed a folded piece of paper next to my plate before seating herself again.

"Open that up and look at it," she said sweetly.

I gave her a confused look, but listened anyway. Slowly, I peeled the paper from its folds to reveal my face and Uncle's. The portrait of me was before I had changed my haircut. Uncle's was much fatter than he is now.

"Your scar is distinctive, Zuko," she said.

At the sound of my real name, I jerked up to look at her.

"I found that piece of paper after I was released from prison," she said. "And before I got this." She removed her glove to reveal a scar bearing resemblance to mine. The skin surrounding it was perfect porcelain making the hideous burgundy scar an island.

My jaw dropped. "I'm sorry, Jin. Tell me who did that, and I can handle it," I said, preparing to hurt the soldier who had marred her.

"It is too late for revenge," she said. "A guard in prison showed me much kindness." She made a small chuckle to herself. "I'm relatively sure the great General Iroh is the man who freed my prison hall as well. He is a firebender much like you, correct?"

I nodded and held my head in shame.

"I'm not angry at you," she said.

I raised my eyes to hers. "How can you not be?"

She laughed. "Look at my house!" she said, raising her hands to gesture around. "It's beautiful. Before the war, I had lived in a tiny apartment with my parents."

"But you were imprisoned by my people. One of them hurt you."

The look in her eyes was soft. "But that's in the past." She looked away from me. "And before yesterday, I had thought you were there, too."

"You never thought were you going to see me again?" I asked.

"No," she said. "In prison, I'd overheard guards talking about you. You were still Prince Zuko then. It is my understanding you are addressed as Fire Lord now?"

I gave a small smile. "Yes. I'm here on vacation."

"I hope the remainder of your vacation is wonderful then." She rose and motioned for me to join her. "I have one last thing to show you before you leave."

I followed her through a labyrinth of hallways until we reached what appeared to be a bedroom door. She held a finger to her lips, signaling me to be quiet. Jin opened the door, and we crossed the room to a crib.

"Meet my son," she whispered. The baby yawned in his sleep. He then woke up, and she picked him up from his bed. His eyelids fluttered open to reveal golden eyes. Fire Nation eyes.

"Jin, he has golden eyes," I said, staring.

She smiled at me. "Yes, he does." She looked up at me. "His father was a soldier."

Once again, my jaw dropped. "You married a Fire Nation soldier?"

Her smile grew wider. "I did. The war brought me much happiness along with sadness."

A servant entered and she handed the baby over to him. Jin exited the room and we wound back through the house to the front entrance.

"My husband was one of the first soldiers to surrender to your uncle. Iroh was something to fear when they reclaimed the city. He was a driving force, much like he was when he tried to capture this city all those years ago." She stopped to adjust a frame on the wall so it hung evenly.

"You may think my husband was an evil, fire-mad man like some of those soldiers. But he was not. He had actually been in a probation of sorts for not using his firebending against helpless Earth people. My husband is a good man.

"The Earth King personally employed him as the police chief of the Upper Ring. Your uncle Iroh gave us this fine house. He had recognized me from our date in the Outer Ring.

"Zuko," she said, placing her hand on my cheek, "your war gave me the love of my life. And for that, I thank you."

"But Jin," I said, removing her hand. "My great-grandfather started this war, and I helped end it."

"If it had not been ended, I couldn't love my husband nor be with him." She laughed. "Didn't anyone ever tell you it's pointless to argue with a woman?"

I gave a small chuckle. "I'll take that advice. It was nice to see you, Jin."

"Would you like my carriage to give you a ride home?" she asked.

"No thank you. I prefer to walk," I said. The servant at the door again opened it for me and I emerged into the bright sun, feeling as though I had accomplished something.

* * *

Author's Note: This one is the longest so far. Also, fun fact: I listen to Tibetan mantras and sacred Tibetan temple music while I write these.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5 – CHAN

High society has always been a pillar of Ba Sing Se's culture. And part of that high society held my heart: dancing.

My dream began when I was three years old. Some of my vague early memories include my mother stretching me on the kitchen floor. She tested my flexibility to confirm whether or not I could dance well. Many would rebuke her for many reasons. One, for making her child bend in strange ways. Two, for seeming to have pushed her lost childhood dreams onto me.

She taught me a few things at home, simple pirouettes and pliés, in our kitchen. Every few months, my mother would take a single dress of mine and add extensive embroidery and beads. She would dress me into my little costume and waltz me into the living room to put on a miniature performance for my father and grandfather. Papa always clapped vehemently but Father clapped his hands in slow, stoic sort of way.

Papa lived with us, ever since I had been born. I had no brothers or sisters, so I received all of the attention. Most of which was from Mother and Papa. Father was always either working or thinking about work; he rarely put aside time to spend with me. His job was an important one in the city. He managed a bank, but since we lived in the Upper Ring where all the opulent lived, there was always someone's money to handle.

Mother begged Father to allow me to take dance classes since my third birthday. In my memory, it seemed to be a great war waging between them. I remember the awful fights, though Papa tried to distract me from them. At the age of five, Father finally caved and forked the money for lessons over to Mother.

The very next morning, we rode in our carriage to the nearest dance academy and signed up. We spent the rest of the day buying the proper clothing and shoes for dance. I wore them around the house until Father yelled at me to take them off. He had grown tired of hearing the wooden toe of my shoes clomping against our hardwood floors.

In my classes, I gained skills and mastered moves like a professional. My teacher claimed me to be a prodigy. I loved my first dance teacher, Mr. Chin. He was an older man with a bald head. He had a tidy beard on the end of his chin. His clothing was always leggings with a tight-fitted tunic.

One day when Mother picked me up from class, she told me I would need a new teacher. I asked why and pleaded to not leave my beloved teacher. She told me I was going beyond the level he taught.

Not even a year after beginning lessons, I was on to my next teacher. The dance academy was comprised of teachers of all levels, so occasionally Mr. Chin would drop by my class to watch me. She was a strict, younger lady who always wore a skull-stretching bun. She was tougher to please than my first teacher. Any wrong move performed and a small switch was lashed at one's disobedient limb. I spent more time learning from her than I had from Mr. Chin. I stayed with her until I was nine.

By then, I was side-by-side with girls much older than me. I was small and lithe, and some of my classmates had already hit puberty, which can wreck one's dance career.

My progression in dance excited Mother to no end. She got the notion that I now needed to attend professional ballets to get a better understanding of my future career. We began seeing the Saturday night performances put on by the Ba Sing Se Professional Ballet Company. Many people simply abbreviated it 'BC', which was acceptable considering it was the only ballet company in the city.

Eventually, Mother deemed me unfit to attend public school. I was enrolled into an exclusive private school in the Upper Ring. I had a tough time making friends due to the fact I had always been told I was special. Being raised under constant praise and approval makes it difficult to even want to seek it out from peers. I merely tolerated being in the same building at the other snot-nosed nine-year olds, and awaited dance practice eagerly every day.

The older girls in dance seemed to like me fairly well, but I always knew they were jealous. Their envy came to me as no surprise. I was, after all, a prodigy. I was a rare bird among pigeons.

Every week, our instructor made us out-perform each other in practice to earn our solos. Though I knew every week that I had secured the esteemed prize, I began turning the other girls against one another. I would make up stories about the others, put on my innocent mask, and spread them. _Li said Ai's thighs are getting too large to fit into her tights. _

I relished the immense control I had over these girls.

At age twelve, I had nearly mastered the most challenging moves of ballet. One day at practice, a recruiter from the BC visited and watched us as we first warmed up and then showcased ourselves. There was no need to use little mind games on the other ballerinas; they all knew I would be chosen.

My performance bested everyone else's. Whispers around the academy claimed the recruiter had a tear or two slip from his eye while watching me. Typically, the BC waited a week or so before offering a part to a dancer. With me, it was that night.

Mother insisted we all go out for dinner that night. Father even ignored his endless work to join us. People at the restaurant congratulated me on my success and talent. All of the recognition and adoration flew instantly to my head. I was a beautiful, graceful dancer, and they loved me.

I began training with the BC, earning minor parts at first. Eventually, I became the star. Mother had told me I could stop attending school, and the next five years of my life were complete bliss. The ballerinas ten years my senior despised me, yet they also adored me. They could have never been what I was, and they admired that fact.

When the city fell, the performances ceased. All of the rich Upper Ring residents retreated behind their luxurious homes. We stayed safe during the invasion, and we were the first to continue on with our lives when Ba Sing Se was reclaimed.

Less than a month later, I was resuming performances. I was given my own dressing room back stage, and Mother hired a servant for the sole purpose of tending to me before performing and during intermissions.

My practices were held in the studio in the back of the BC building. One day, the show director interrupts my practice. He proposed to me a crazy idea: to include fire in the performances. It would be a form of penance for the Fire Nation soldiers to work for free at the BC. I agreed but added the threat that my family would sue the company for everything they touched if I was burned by a rogue bender.

Of course I earned my pay at the BC, but Father set it all aside in this bank. He and Mother continued to provide everything for me, including my expensive Upper Ring apartment. Every weekend, I became richer and richer.

Mid-fall had arrived, meaning it was the season to perform The Rose Dance. I, of course, was cast as the main rose. My costume was a deliciously bright red decorated with real rubies and diamonds. The servant who assisted me backstage made sure the back of my costume was perfectly laced and that my red lipstick matched flawlessly.

The performance itself was simple. As far as the moves went, the most difficult was the grand jeté. This is where the firebenders were crucial. Four were in front of the stage, sending flashes of fire into the air right as I jumped. I had watched my understudy perform the stunts with the benders, and it was gorgeous. Tonight, I was going to be the only star of the show.

Through the ballet, everything had been going well. I had a slight break to re-powder and re-apply lipstick before my grand jeté. My cue came and I was onstage. At first, it involves a lot of simpler, middle-level moves.

During the grand jeté, I jump and pull a full split mid-air. My back leg trails the front leg, and if executed properly, I appear to be gliding. Really, when I'm up there, it feels as though time stops for just one second. The peak of my jump was when the firebenders were supposed to do their bending thing.

At the highest point of my jump, I could tell something was going wrong. One of the benders had accidentally shot a fire ball, and it headed directly for me. The only thing I could think to do was complete my jump and hope I wasn't hit.

As soon as my front foot landed, I made for the floor for coverage. I cowered beneath my arms, expecting a hit on the stage. When one didn't come, I peered out from under my arm. A boy was on the stage, spinning the fireball between his hands before pushing his palms together, making the flames disappear.

The crowd gave a standing ovation… before the performance was over. I had been wrong – I was not the star. Security guards rushed the stage and grabbed the boy. They turned to take him backstage, and I realized the boy was in fact a very handsome man.

A male dancer came up to make sure I was okay, and then escorted me backstage. I quickly ascertained where the man was being kept, and barged into the room. The BC head director was in front of the man, yelling at him full force for ruining the ballet.

"Stop!" I cried, running up to the director. I held my hand to the man. "This man saved my life. He saved your most valuable dancer. You should be thanking him, not screaming at him."

The director angrily shook his head, but stalked off. Not knowing exactly what to do, the security guards simply released the man and let him fall to the floor.

I approached him. "Thank you for saving my life," I said, helping him up.

"No problem," he said. His clothing was very fine, probably some of the best made in Ba Sing Se.

He turned to walk off, but I called after him. "Wait, I should thank you better somehow."

He shook his head at me. "I'm really fine with just helping."

"Let me take you out for dinner," I offered. I was shocking myself for being generous to someone, but I felt as though I had never met a guy handsome enough for my attentions.

"Okay, I accept," he said.

I forced a laugh. "Well, I think the performance is basically over now. So wait here and I'll change so we can go."

"Okay," he said, seeming uneasy.

I changed from my costume to my elegant gown the fastest I think I've ever changed. It was almost as if I didn't believe he was real and he'd be gone once I got out there. But sure enough, he was still standing there as I emerged. I expected his eyes to flash with lust upon seeing me in my dress, but he appeared unimpressed.

We rode in my carriage to the same restaurant my family and I had attended when I'd been given a part with the BC. The maître d' seated us immediately. We had the best seat in the house next to a window overlooking the lit Upper Ring.

I ordered us the most expensive champagne on the menu. We perused the menus and made our selections.

"So," I said, dabbing the corner of my mouth delicately with the white cloth napkin, "I failed to ask earlier what your name is."

"Zuko," he said. Zuko had a fascinating scar on the left side of his face. Since he was a firebender, I assumed he had gotten it during the war.

"Where are you from?" I asked.

"The Fire Nation," he replied tersely. His response almost had a sarcastic tone to it, like I should know where he was from.

I faked a laugh. "Oh, silly me. You're a firebender, of course you're from the Fire Nation," I said.

He gave me a weak smile. "Well, my family lives in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se."

"My uncle lives here, too," he said. "The rest of my family lives in the Fire Nation."

"Fascinating," I said, even though I was becoming thoroughly bored with the handsome man. He had managed to upstage me on the stage, my home court, but in real life, he was no star.

Our dishes arrived and we feasted in silence. The waiter cleared our dirty dishes and another man appeared. He wore a white chef cap and a stain-splotched apron. In his hands, he carried flaming cakes.

Placing the cakes in front of us, he bowed. His respect was directed towards Zuko, not me. Fury rose within me. As I opened my mouth to speak, the chef started talking first.

"It gives me great pleasure and honor to personally serve you, Fire Lord Zuko."

Zuko gave the chef a modest smile and asked him to rise. Zuko gave the Fire Nation respect hand gesture to the chef.

"It's a pleasure to dine on your fine cooking," he said. The chef blushed a deep red, declared his never-ending thanks, and retreated to the kitchen.

I then realized my mouth was hanging open, and I snapped it shut. "Fire Lord?" I said.

Zuko looked at me and nodded with complete sincerity in his eyes.

"You didn't think to mention this earlier?" I asked snottily.

He shrugged. "It didn't seem important," he said. He then laughed at me, furthering my anger. "Now, if you'd like to retract your claws, I think I'll take my dessert to go. I had… fun."

Zuko stood, taking his plate with him and a waiter instantly boxed it up for him. The same waiter came directly to the table afterwards.

"Wow! The Fire Lord dining at our little restaurant," he said more to himself than to me. "Here's your bill, ma'am."

At that moment, I wished I could firebend and burn that paper into tiny bits. I was stuck paying for the ruler of the world's richest country.

I went home and avoided Mother's questions about the performance. A servant ran my bath and I stayed in it until my fingers pruned. Still in my robe and combing my hair, Mother burst into my room.

"Mother!" I exclaimed. "What is it?" I was beyond impatient with everyone.

Her cheeks reddened and she dropped her head. "Honey, I'm so sorry."

I turned towards her. "Just spit it out."

"Your father lost all of your ballet earnings. All five years worth. He was gambling with it." She paused to suck in a few tears. "We'll be lucky if we get to keep our house. He is arranging things with the bank."

"My money is gone?" I asked, all annoyance gone. Mother let out a sob and nodded. "That means I should probably try finding a rich husband."

"If you think you'll be happy," Mother said through her tears.

I twisted to look at my reflection in the mirror. _Oh, yes, that'd make me very happy. I will become the Fire Lord's wife._


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6 – ZUKO

"How was the performance?" Uncle asked me as I arrived back to his apartment.

I exhaled. "I don't even know how to describe it…" He prompted some more and I told him of how I had saved the bratty dancer's life and she repaid me.

"Sounds like she may have really liked you," Uncle said.

I shook my head. "I think she gets what she wants. She reminded me of someone back home." I waited for Uncle to fill in the blank.

"Azula."

I nodded. "She was very manipulative. When the chef brought out the desert and addressed me as 'Fire Lord', I thought she was going to hit the ceiling," I said. "She seemed agitated to not be the center of attention."

Uncle hmmph'd and put a finger to his chin. "Zuko, I do not want to direct you in how you conduct a relationship with this young woman. You make your decision about the date by yourself. I caution you to tread lightly. Remember, water can not only float a boat, but sink it as well."

Sighing, I rubbed my cheek impatiently. "You and your proverbs, Uncle."

"Zuko," he said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "The intentions of this young woman may not be pure. Just be careful."

Reverting back to my old habits, I shrugged off his hand and turned my back. "She probably won't try to contact me again."

"You never know," Uncle said. "I'm going to make some tea before going to bed, would you like a cup?"

"No thanks," I said. I went to bed with mixed feelings. Chan had been a nice woman, but she was so greedy and power-hungry. Being the star dancer at her age had to have come at a price. Mentally, I shrugged all these thoughts away. Perhaps I would just work in Uncle's tea shop with him until it was time to go back to the Fire Nation.

The next morning, Uncle had already gone to work, but I quickly followed him there. He was delighted when I informed him of my decision. Since the death of Lu Ten, Uncle had become a man of hobbies. His perspective on life had changed. I had always suspected the events of the night my mother disappeared also had caused something. Having one's title stripped away was humiliating and hurtful. I would know.

My job at the Jasmine Dragon was simply to serve tea and offer refills. Pretty girls stood by the doors to assist in seating customers, so I never paid attention to anyone who walked in. I didn't notice her until she was bowing in front of me.

"I enjoyed your company last night, my Lord," she said.

"Chan?" I asked.

"Yes," she said, raising her head from the bow.

"W-what are you doing here?"

"I had no other way to contact you, your Highness," she said. The smile on her face was like one seen on a snake.

"Stop with the titles," I said, anger seeping into my voice.

"As you wish," she said with a slight bow of her head.

"Is there something you want?" I asked.

She put one hand on her hip and slightly pouted her lips. For never knowing Azula, she sure could emulate her. "I was hoping we could see each other again."

I scratched the back of my head. "I don't know. I've been kind of busy."

"Oh," she said, looking away at the floor. "I had just thought—I mean, I had such a good time the other night…"

It seemed as though it would be impossible to avoid going on another date with her. "Okay," I said, "we'll go out again."

She directed her eyes back to my face with a large, toothy smile on her face. "How fantastic! I can't wait. Can you meet me tonight?"

_Maybe, _I thought, _the sooner I go on a date with her, the sooner I can end it._ "Actually," I said, "I could get off right now and go somewhere with you."

She gave a little, girlish hop. "Sounds great! I'll meet you outside." Chan gave an over-the-shoulder wave before exiting the doors.

I might regret this.

Emerging from the shop a few minutes later after explaining it to Uncle, I found Chan sitting on a nearby bench.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

"Oh, yes. I have the best place in mind," she said. She snatched my hand in hers.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Just someplace," she said nonchalantly. I noticed the absence of her carriage. Why were we walking to a destination instead of riding? Everything seemed so off. She hadn't shown this much enthusiasm the night before.

She led me through the streets of the Upper Ring to a small, hole-in-the-wall kind of restaurant. We were one of the only customers eating there.

"What kind of restaurant is this?" I asked.

"You'll see," she said with a wink.

The décor in the place was horrid. Poorly painted flames were on along the chair rails of the walls. Temples crudely resembling those back home were wallpapered all around us. The tables were all lacquered black and had chairs of that same black with red and gold cushions. It seemed familiar, yet very strange.

The waiter gave us our menus. Looking it over, it hit me. This was supposed to be like a Fire Nation cuisine restaurant. It was awful. None of the foods even matched what we actually ate. Flame fish back home was a dish caught in the river below the volcanic crater. The 'flame' part was derived from the spices applied to it. Here, 'flame fish' was a fish fillet cut to be shaped like fire.

This was dreadful.

"Don't you like it?" Chan asked, eating some 'fire rice', which was regular rice dyed red.

"This is supposed to be like my home," I said.

She nodded eagerly. "Yes it is!"

"I'm sorry, Chan, but this isn't what food is like back home at all."

Her face fell into a pout. Just like my sister's.

"But hey, thanks for trying and being considerate," I said, trying to reassure her.

She mumbled a nicety, and the rest of our date was awkward. We made random small talk. I did the proper thing and paid for the horrendous meals.

"Well, I've, uhm… I need to go back home," she said once we were outside. Chan didn't allow me to say anything in response and ran off quickly.

On a whim, I decided to follow her. I was, in fact, the Blue Spirit.

Chan had to be one of the easiest targets I ever followed. She did not once glance back to see if I had followed her. The house she approached was monstrous, even larger than Jin's home. But as she walked to the front door, it didn't 'magically' open as it had at Jin's. Chan had to open it herself.

Then I took notice of everything else. The gardens in the front yard were in poor shape. It looked as though they hadn't been tended to properly in months. Boldly, I emerged from my spot in the shade and walked up to the front door.

I knocked, and then waited a few moments. The door opened to reveal Chan. When it finally clicked to her that I was standing in front of her, her jaw dropped.

"Zuko!" she said.

"Here," I said.

Her cheeks flamed bright red. "I would like to have an honest talk with you," I said.

"Okay sure. Come with me." She took my hand and led me to a back bedroom.

"This," she said, waving her free arm around, "is my bedroom." She gave me a sly smirk before forcing me to sit on the foot of her bed.

"Look," I said, taking my hand from hers, "I don't know what game you're trying to play or what you're getting at."

She made her eyes seem round and innocent. "I have no idea what you mean."

"You know exactly what I mean. The other night, you acted as though you could care less. And today, your behavior would lead one to believe you had known me for years."

"I'm so sorry, Zuko," she said. "Let me make it up to you." Her voice had dropped into a whisper. She grabbed my cheek and forced me to look at her before trying to kiss me.

"No!" I said, pushing her off. I stood up and paced at the foot of the bed. "I grew up with someone always trying to get inside my head and worm her own way through it. I won't put up with that ever again!"

Chan made a blubbering noise. "Zuko." Tears were gathering in the corners of her eyes. "I think I love you." She reached a hand out to grab my tunic to bring me back on the bed.

With my quick reflexes, it was easy to stop her. "No," I said, leaning my face close to hers. "You do not love me. You may love my wealth, you may love my title, you may love what I can give to you, but you do not love me."

I tossed her hand back into her lap and stormed out of her house. Instead of returning to the Jasmine Dragon, I went back to the apartment. Back home, I had managed my anger by practicing dueling with my double swords. Here, I didn't have my swords. I decided to get rid of my anger by tiring my muscles in manual labor.

Taking a brush and pail of soapy water, I scrubbed everything in Uncle's apartment so it shone. Anyone from home who could've seen me would have thrown me into a cell between my sister and father. Though it was crazy, it was effective. Before Uncle was home from his shop, I was already fast asleep in my room.

Because I had retired early the previous evening, I woke up before Uncle the next morning. I had nothing to do, so I simply sat at his dining table. He emerged from his room, rubbing his eyes.

"Zuko," he said with a sleep-grated voice, "you have awakened before the birds this morning."

I intertwined my fingers. "Yes, Uncle. Yesterday was… weird."

Uncle let out a lion yawn. "Let me start my tea and then you can tell me."

After he sat across from me, I started relaying the story to him. When I was finished, Uncle had his hand cupped around his chin, thinking.

"I think this girl is not stable," he finally said. "Remember in your fight against your sister? She was beginning to unravel then."

"I don't see how the two connect, Uncle."

"They are both master manipulators. They both get their every wish. Think of what Chan may have lost to cause this transformation."

"She lives in a large house, but there were no servants. Also, after the ballet, we rode in her carriage. It was nowhere in sight yesterday, though."

Uncle thought for a moment. "So you think she may have suffered a loss of wealth?"

"It's possible," I said. "But why would that make her insane?"

"Some people in this world place too much emphasis on material things and not enough on the things you cannot buy."

"Thanks, Uncle," I said, starting to rise from my chair. A few steps from the table, Uncle spoke again.

"Zuko, will you see this girl again?" he asked.

Without turning around, I replied. "I don't think so."

"Tell her today then." I could hear his chair scraping back and tea pouring into a cup. "It would be good manners and the impeccable behavior of the Fire Lord to tell her."

"Yes, Uncle."

After I had dressed and seen Uncle off to work, I went back to Chan's house. Knocking on the door, I went over what I could possibly say to her. Minutes later, someone finally opened the door.

The woman was much older, but looked similar to Chan. Wrinkles were sprouting on her forehead, and around her eyes and mouth. Gray was beginning to streak through her otherwise brown hair.

"Yes?" she said.

"May I have a word with Chan?" I asked.

The woman burst into tears. "They –" She collapsed into a puddle just inside her front door. "They took her away this morning."

"Where?" I asked, supporting her to her feet.

"The mental institution," the woman whimpered out.

"Thank you," I said bowing. I quickly set off to the hospital.

At the front desk, a nurse tried to stop me from going back to the patient rooms.

"I'm the Fire Lord!" I finally yelled after arguing with her for what seemed like ten minutes. Feeling shame at using my title for personal gains, I justified it with Uncle's advice.

A caretaker at the hospital led me through the halls to Chan's room. They slid back a thick, metal door to reveal just bars.

"Chan," the caretaker said, "you have a visitor."

She was cowered in the corner on the floor. Her hair was greasy at the roots. She slowly turned to see me.

"See!" she cried. "I knew my love would rescue me." She ran to the bars and tried to put her arms through to hug me.

"Chan," I said, stepping back, "I'm not your love, nor are you mine."

"Zuko," she whined, tears starting to flow down her cheeks.

"I came here to tell you something," I said.

She plopped onto the dirty floor and turned her back to me. "What?"

I knelt close to where she was. "I understand you're having a hard time, but we aren't a couple. We won't ever be. I won't see you again, okay?"

Through the bars, I could see her shoulders shaking from her sobs. "But look, you are a beautiful, graceful dancer. You're the best this city has ever seen." I stood and placed my hand on a bar. "So get better please. And once you're better, go back to dancing."

She made no reply and her sobs grew in noise and velocity. I signaled to the caretaker and exited the hospital.

On my way back to Uncle's, I stopped by a sword crafts place to buy a new set of double swords. I then found a small barrack in which to practice every day. My skills needed sharpening before I returned to the Fire Nation. Unwrapping my swords, I proceeded to practice right then.

While going through the motions, my mind gathered its thoughts and presented them as though I were at a meeting back home. On the journey here, Uncle's advice had been that the woman who will really love me will feel that way whether I am rich or poor. I had already tried being rich and being Fire Lord, so why not try poor?

I quickly re-sheathed my swords and traveled into the Outer Ring. Entering a cheap apartment rental agency, I paid for a month's rent up front. Then, I went to various bazaars to collect hodgepodge furniture for my new apartment.

By dusk, I had set up the perfect place to pretend to be poor. I made it back to Uncle's just in time to tell him of my plan. Gathering my few things at Uncle's, I went back to my place and put everything away.

Maybe now I could find love.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7 – MING

I hadn't grown up in Ba Sing Se, but I had grown up poor.

Before I was born, my family had been uprooted from our home in the Earth Kingdom by Fire Nation soldiers. Dad was a smart man. He had believed the rumors of raids and the destruction of the nearby villages and moved before his village was struck. When my family moved, it consisted of Dad, Mom, and my older brother.

I came into the picture along with my twin brother in the countryside. When Mom's labor started, Dad rushed her someplace private. Leaving my brother, Shi, with Mom, Dad searched desperately for a woman who could help. The woman who helped deliver my brother and me travelled with us for a distance. It was told she helped care for us and helped Mom get well before she mysteriously disappeared in the night. Maybe she had gotten tired of us. Maybe she was taken. We never knew.

Dad wanted to live in Ba Sing Se. It was the great stronghold of the Earth Kingdom. Not having much money, my family walked to the city barely scraping by. Shi says that sometimes Dad and Mom would have arguments over the money. Mom said it should be used for food, Dad said it needed to be saved for a home in the city. It seems they made compromises.

Dad's and Shi's job was to gather different fruits and nuts for us to eat while Mom had her hands full with me and my twin, Hu.

Hu and I learned our basic skills on the road. We learned to walk, talk, and not to dirty our pants all while travelling to Ba Sing Se.

One of my earliest memories involved traveling. Day after day, we plodded to our destination, but one day we saw something we viewed as hope. A division of Earth Kingdom troops were headed the opposite direction as us, towards the coast to fend off the Fire Nation. Hu and I ran up close to them, Mom protesting behind us. We stood together and waved rigorously to the soldiers. One of them winked at me and gave a sly smile. I was five and loved him instantly, though I was quickly over it.

We didn't reach the city until I was eight. By then, Mom had given birth to two more girls, though they were not twins. She had taught Hu and me how to read and write, saying they would be important skills for us one day.

The city was huge and spectacular to us. Shi told us that it was a hundred times bigger than the little village we'd come from. Mom and Dad laughed at him, saying he was five when they'd left. It had taken six long years, but we had arrived.

Dad had to take a low-paying job at a local factory while Mom worked in a sweets shop. It was mostly Shi's job to care for us until Hu and I were older. When we turned eleven, Shi was beginning to chase after silly, giggling girls. My twin and I would exchange confused looks and let him run off.

My younger sisters weren't hard to care for. They mostly entertained each other. Occasionally, Hu and I would hide everything dangerous from them and set out by ourselves to explore. The city held many secrets for us to discover. We had a special tree we hid things in. Looking back from now, all of the things we deemed worthy to hide were useless. Bits of string, assorted buttons, pretty rocks.

One day, we went far from our little home. It was the farthest we had ever travelled from it. Eventually, we came to a large wall. We tried to find a doorway, but couldn't. So we asked the nearby soldier if we could go through. To our dismay, we were gruffly told to go back home. _The Upper Ring is no place to tiny street urchins. _Sadly, we trudged back home. We later learned that the King lived there along with the other rich people of the city. That was our first encounter with the fact that we were poor, and some people hated us for that.

A few years passed, and Hu got interested in stupid girls, too. It left me home alone with my younger sisters every day. They would force me to play games with them, silly embarrassing games for my age. But eventually all of us grew up. My younger sisters began going to public school, but I was told I was too old to go.

The war never affected my household. It was strange considering we were in the poor part of the city, but neither of my brothers were drafted to become soldiers and my parents' jobs stayed steady. The Hundred Years War was just a passing event in our lives.

I spend my days as a sort of housewife. Every day, I go to the market to buy our food for our meals and I prepare the meal for everyone. I clean our little apartment, make everyone's bed, empty the garbage, and sweep the floor. Feeling trapped, I began to plot ways out of my dreary existence.

The best plan I hatched was to marry someone rich. The problem was I couldn't get into the Upper Ring to meet any rich heirs. So instead, I settled for marrying someone with slightly more money than my family, so I could get a job and work with my husband to move up in the world.

It seemed fool-proof.

At the market one sunny morning, I was, as usual, buying the ingredients for my family's dinner. Mom and Dad had mentioned that I get a job and pitch in extra money to help with the rent. I sincerely hoped I wouldn't have to; I was too comfortable in my routine now.

Squeezing different avocados to determine ripeness, I spotted a handsome man in my peripheral vision. He had black hair and pale skin. Being subtle, I slid closer to his right side.

"Hey," I said. My voice has sounded a bit squeaky making me cringe on the inside.

He paused for a tiny second. "Hey," he said back.

"I've never seen you before," I said, turning to fully face him. His clothes were much more fashionable than mine, a sign he was from the Upper Ring.

"I'm new in town," he said, not looking at me.

"That's cool," I said. "I've only lived here since I was eight."

He made eye contact with me. "Refugee?"

"I guess," I said. "I was born on the journey here. So I guess Ba Sing Se is my home."

He added a fruit to his basket. "This is my home for now," he said.

"Welcome to Ba Sing Se," I said. I held out my hand. "My name is Ming."

The man turned to face me, revealing a nasty scar on the left side of his face. "I'm Lee," he said, shaking my hand.

I tried my best not to appear shocked at his scar. "I would be happy to show you around the city sometime."

"Whenever you're free," he said, turning back to selecting produce.

"Well," I said, following him and we went to pay the stand owner. "I'm kind of free now. I mean, my days are free in the mornings, but I have stuff to do in the afternoon."

Lee reached inside his tunic and pulled out a wad of cash. I mean, more cash than I'd estimate my parents had made in eight years. He slid a bill to the grocer, telling him to keep the change. "So you're saying you'd like to now?" he asked, turning back to me.

I forced the shock from my mind so I could speak. "Yes!" I chirped. "That would be lovely."

"I need to get these back to my apartment," he said, holding up his bag. "But you could walk with me there."

I agreed to accompany him. On the way there, I did most of the talking. I told him about my family, my parent's jobs, how stupid I thought my brothers were. He didn't say much in return; he mostly let me talk, which released some of the things I had been keeping on my chest.

"Sounds like you were once close with your twin brother," he said.

"That was before he started chasing girls," I said. "Boys can lose their minds over a girl."

He grinned a bit. "That can be true at times. But don't be too down on them. Try to spend a little time with them."

"It can be hard," I said. Lee simply nodded in agreement.

My heart fell a little when we reached his apartment building. He lived in a slummy home just like I did. But it didn't explain the clothes and cash. Maybe he had one of the larger, top-floor rooms.

He passed off his bag to me to unlock his apartment door. It was on the second story, and it was much smaller than my home. There was barely room to turn around in the kitchen. Only one door led off of the main door, and I assumed it to be the bathroom. His bed was in a corner of the room along with a small couch and side table. There was very little personality or décor to his home, just poverty.

"Ready to go?" he asked, smiling at me.

"Sure," I said, feeling not so sure inside.

I took him to a local tea shop. Before we entered, he protested.

"I heard this place isn't very good," he said.

"Who would you have heard that from?" I asked. "You just moved here."

"One of my neighbors told me," he said, lightly shrugging.

I could tell he was lying, but we went to a diner instead. We ordered bowls of rice with egg bits in them for our meal. Lee seemed to have manners sophisticated beyond mine. I felt as though I were being deceived by him. During our lunch, I kept him entertained and we exchanged silly stories about our travels to the city. Earlier, he had been stone-faced and stoic, but after two hours he seemed to have loosened up.

After we finished and he had paid – that stack of bills! – he insisted on walking me home. He looped my arm around his and led me like a gentlemen. Like someone of a higher class.

"I had a really fun time with you," he said. He had untangled our arms and was holding both of my hands in his.

"Same here," I said, half-way lying.

"Meet me again at the market tomorrow?" he asked.

"I'll see you there," I said.

"Good bye until then," Lee said. He leaned down and gave me a gentle peck on the cheek.

"Bye," I said weakly. I stepped inside my apartment building and watched him leave. Lee went back the same direction we had come from.

After not having bought my produce earlier, I returned to the market. Instead of buying just tonight's meal, I also bought the ingredients for tomorrow night as well. The grocer knew me well, and cast a strange glance at me for breaking my routine.

Returning home, I began my chores. I swept and scrubbed and dusted and folded. As I started making dinner, which was a vegetable stew, I let my thoughts come to me. The plain truth was, Lee did not fit into my plan. He had rich clothes and carried a lot of cash on him, but his apartment was smaller than the one I lived in. I didn't believe he was truly rich.

There was no way I could stay in poverty for the rest of my life.

I decided tomorrow would be a relaxation day for myself, and I wouldn't go to the market.

* * *

Author's Note: The rest of this story will be built into the next chapter. Dun dun dun.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8 – ZUKO

Sleeping in the Outer Ring again was strange at first. It seemed like life never stopped moving down here. In the Upper Ring, all the residents went to bed fairly early. They all had important jobs to get to in the morning. The Outer Ring was a different story.

Since I'd last been here, the night-life scene had exploded. Bars, clubs, and a variety of types between the two categories had popped up everywhere in Ba Sing Se. Now that there was no war, the poor citizens of the city had decided it was time to live life to the fullest.

The first night back, sleep was difficult to catch. But it became easier as more nights passed.

Meeting Ming felt fresh. It felt as though she didn't want anything but me. She didn't know I was the leader of the richest Nation. She had probably noticed the large stack of money I'd carried and my clothes, but my apartment was run-down and filthy. I hoped I had come across the way I'd intended – a poor, lonely man just getting his start in the world.

Later that afternoon, I sent a messenger bird to Uncle about Ming. The scroll he sent back was another one of his riddling proverbs. I read it again and again, trying to make sense of it. But I failed.

I guess at some point in my vacation, it did turn into looking for a wife. Some people of my Nation had to harbor worries of who would lead should anything dire happen to me. The plain truth was I had no heir to the throne. Should I be unable to lead, the Nation may collapse completely.

After the events in Yu Dao, where earthbenders and firebenders had joined to create families, doing the same myself wouldn't be such a terrible idea. All of the Earth Kingdom girls I had encountered during banishment had been sweet. Poor Song, whose ostrich horse I'd stolen.

Song and her mother had cared for Uncle as though he were their own family member. It now reminded me of how Katara had healed me after Azula struck me with her lightning in the courtyard outside the palace. That was the only envy I had of the Avatar – his and Katara's relationship.

My first time ever watching them interact, I knew they would get together. Of course, they had yet to get married, but any letters I receive from Aang mention her, always. She is his great love. She unintentionally freed him from his iceberg. She was made for him, and neither had to search for the other.

I was made to search for anything I wanted.

The next day, I woke up early with anticipation of seeing Ming again.

Ming was a beauty to behold. Her brunette hair shone as though it underwent the most expensive hair treatments regularly. The simple manner of her clothing only accentuated the beautiful green of her eyes. She was a classic Earth girl, just as I was classic Fire Nation.

I still had a few hours to pass before I was supposed to go to the market. Deciding my little apartment was too dirty, I gathered what meager cleaning supplies I had and started working. By the time I was finished three hours later, my home had a bit more sparkle and a lot more clean to it. Quickly, I washed up and changed clothes before walking out the door.

The market was only a few blocks from my apartment. I was there in five minutes. Looking around, I didn't see Ming, so I sat on the edge of a fountain to wait.

I don't know what it was with the Ba Sing Se and fountains, but they were everywhere. The best one I'd seen so far was when I was here as 'Lee' before. The fountain Jin had taken me to. Until the recent installment of streetlamps on the major paths, the only real public fire was those lamps surrounding the other water work.

The small plaza I was waiting in only had two entrances. From where I was sitting, I had a direct view of the one Ming should walk through. Time went by, and though I had been early, Ming should've come by now. My spine had since quit sitting so straight, and now I was slouching. Staring off into space, I realized the grocer was trying to wave me over to him.

"Look," the grocer said, "I'm sorry man, but she's not coming today."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"I've known that girl for a long time. Every day, she comes to my stand, buys a day's worth of produce, and leaves," he said. "Yesterday after you all had left, she came back and bought double her usual amount."

"So she had no need to come today," I said. It dawned on me that she had stood me up. I'd never been stood up before, and it hurt worse than the scar upon my face.

"That's right," the grocer said. "I thought it was funny, too. You must've scared her off, boy."

I gave him a demeaning look. "Thanks anyway," I muttered, turning around.

"'Course," the grocer said, getting my attention again, "that girl ain't always been too bright."

Turning back towards him, I waited for him to continue. "I mean, I recognized you." My cheeks grew inflamed. The grocer laughed at me. "Don't worry, boy. I got a gift for recognizing people. Got nothing better to do all day." He winked at me. "Secret's safe with me."

I gave him a bow. "Thank you."

He bowed in return. "No problem." He rose from his bow. "I'd go find that girl and put some sense into her though." He handed me a folded piece of paper, and I knew instantly what it was.

I gave the grocer a sly smile before I went in the direction of Ming's apartment. Finding it with ease, I knocked on her door. To my surprise, a boy answered it.

"Yes?" he said.

"Is Ming here? I'd like to speak with her," I said.

"Yeah," he said to me. "Ming!" he yelled over his shoulder.

"What Hu? I told you to find something else to do other than bother me," she yelled. She came into view behind me and her entire face and neck went red.

"Hu, go away," she said.

The boy held up his hands. "Fine." He shoved past me and walked cockily down the hall.

Ming stepped out of the apartment, shutting the door behind her. "What do you want?" she asked with hostility in her voice.

"You stood me up," I said. There was no way to sugar-coat it.

She looked me dead in the eye. "Yeah, I did."

"Why?" I asked, the hurt accidentally creeping in.

"Look," she said, leaning against the wall, "my family has always been poor. But that doesn't mean I want to be poor for the rest of my life. I need a rich man to support me so I can finally live. I feel honor-less and like filth because of my family's money. To be truly happy, I need that to change."

She hadn't broken eye contact with me once, and I could feel the brutal honesty in her words. "Ming," I said, "I had really liked you."

"Well I'm sorry," she said. She turned to open the door but I stopped her with one hand and held her to her front door. With my other hand, I pulled the paper out of my pocket. I whipped it so it would unfold and held it in front of my face.

"Recognize me now?" I said. The paper was the wanted poster of Uncle and me from when we were fugitives.

I lowered the paper to see Ming's face frozen in shock. "Y-y-you're – the Fire Lord."

Holding her gaze for just another moment, I then turned and left her standing there. I was briefly aware of her yelling apologies at my back, but I ignored them.

Going back to my apartment, I felt broken. I was shattered by the rejection because she had still simply wanted me for my money. Uncle's advice in his vehicle on the way here had failed. No woman loved me rich or poor. Feeling shameful, I went and lay in my bed until the next day.

The following morning, I got dressed to visit Uncle. The wall guards instantly recognized me and allowed me to pass. Making my way up to the Jasmine Dragon, I found Uncle in his usual corner at his pai sho table. Today, he had no men at his table just yet.

"Zuko, come join me," Uncle said loudly, gesturing to the empty chair next to him.

"I'd just like some tea," I said quietly while sitting at his table.

"That's quite alright," he said, motioning to the manager for tea. "Well," he said, turning his attention back to me, "I know you're here for advice."

I gave him a questioning look, and he simply tapped his forehead with a single finger. "Ming only wanted money."

Uncle only looked at me, waiting for me to add more details. "She was tired of being poor and wanted someone to rescue her."

"You won't help shoots by pulling them up higher," Uncle said. The manager had arrived with my tea. I cast Uncle a glance. "It means that she must help herself in getting to where she wants. Relying on another person to do it for her will only encourage laziness within herself." He paused to take a sip of tea. "You made the right choice in leaving her."

"But Uncle, whether I was rich or poor, the women still wanted me for their own gain." I hung my head. "I failed."

"Zuko," Uncle said a bit sternly. "You have not failed because of the flaws in others. You did not cause them to be that way nor did you feed into it. The tributaries upstream have no effect on the ones downstream."

"I know, but this is still difficult," I said. "What should I do?"

"Stay a little while longer here," Uncle told me. "Be yourself, not who others want you to be. Dress in whatever clothes you like. Dress poor, rich, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation. Practice your double swords. Practice your firebending. Do what you please. And remember, sometimes the person who feels as though they deserve love the least, need it the most."

I drained the rest of my tea and stood. "Thank you, Uncle," I said, bowing.

"Not a problem, Zuko," he said, returning my bow.

I returned to my crappy Outer Ring apartment. Taking Uncle's advice, I was going to do what I want, and what I wanted to do was visit the fountain with the lanterns.

Closing and locking my apartment door, I set off to re-discover that fountain. Winding through the streets, I came across just before sundown. As I approached, I noted someone lighting the lanterns. The person was not using a previously lit candle, but firebending just as I had before. All the wicks were lit and the person stopped to admire the effect. I could make out long hair drifting down the back – it was a girl!

A female firebender. My sister had been the only female firebender I had ever encountered. I wanted to meet this mystery girl. Stealthily, I crept into small plaza. Somehow, the girl heard me approach and darted off. Determined, I ran after her.

She was quick and lithe. She was nearly as good as I was. Dress her up as the Blue Spirit and I wouldn't be able to say whether it was me. She turned a quick corner and as I rounded it, she had disappeared. My strides slowed. Bending with my hands on my knees, I tried to catch my breath.

Hands wrapped around my neck, and pinned me back.

"Why are you following me?" the voice asked.

I struggled to twist out of the grip, but it was iron-strong. "Are you the firebender?" I asked. "I just wanted to see who you were."

"What is it to you if I can firebend?" she asked, her voice against my ear. She had dragged me back into the shade of a nearby alley to not attract attention to us. She really was as good as me.

"I just wanted to meet you," I said, hoping she'd release me.

"Wrong answer," she said. And then black.

When I came to, I was laying on my bed in my apartment. The window had been opened, causing a chilly breeze to cut through my tiny bedroom. My heart beating fast, I jerked upright, my head spinning to see if the girl was still here. In the dark, I could barely make out her figure. She was wearing all black, but her face appeared to be blue.

"Who are you?" I asked. My words came out slightly slurred from being knocked out.

She did not respond, but was kneeling in front of me in a flash. She was wearing a mask. My mask. The smiling, blue face got closer to mine. Through the slits of the mask, I could barely make out golden almond eyes. Fire Nation eyes.

Slowly, my hand came out from under my blanket. Reaching towards the mask, my fingertips barely touched the material. It was truly my mask. The one I'd thrown into Lake Laogai. I'd never thought I'd see the Blue Spirit again after that.

"But how?" I asked.

The girl cupped my hand to the cheek of the mask, its fanged smile never faltering. She interlaced her fingers with mine. The material of her glove was thin and I could feel the bones of her hand. Gently, she laid my hand on my lap. She quickly leapt to the sill of the open window. Crouching there, she turned back to me and gave a tiny wave of her hand before jumping down into the night.

I struggled to get up and look out the window to catch sight of her leaving, but she was already gone. I closed the window and latched it. Checking the front door, the girl had locked it. She had anticipated going through the window. Who was she? Why had she knocked me out and brought me back here?

As I drifted back off to sleep, one last thought rang through my mind – how had she gotten my mask?


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: This chapter is about 2000 longer than the rest, but it's climatic. I hope you enjoy (:

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CHAPTER 9 – LIAN

My story is a boring one. I haven't been important to anyone, and no one has ever missed my absence. Perhaps I'll tell the short version.

Short version of my life so far: I was born into a small Earth Kingdom community fifty miles from Ba Sing Se. Both of my parents died of disease when I was young, so I was raised by the elderly women in my village. They desperately tried to make me girly and give me proper manners, but I simply wanted to run and play with the boys. So I did.

When the boys grew old enough to know I shouldn't be playing with them, they ostracized me. I was all alone at age thirteen with no family or friends. That plus the rumors of the Fire Nation moving further and further inland in our Nation, I simply went away one night.

Of course before I left, I stole enough food and supplies so I would make it to the city and be able to survive on my own once I got there. My life post-move got a lot more interesting.

To begin with, I had nowhere to sleep. I couldn't stay in any small plazas or parks overnight or I would be arrested as a vagrant. After a few sleepless nights, I discovered a hill with this one large tree. It overlooked the majority of the Outer Ring. I could see for miles in my little spot. Eventually, I had a nice little cloth to have a makeshift tent with. No one ever disturbed me up there, but I did notice an elder man up there once.

The man had knelt on the ground, placing things on a stone. I crept up closer to him, listening to what he was saying. Through his tears, I could hear the lilt of a little song. A few fruits and a photo were on the stones. The man watched the sun set all the way, and left, not taking any of the things with him.

Staying hidden for a few more minutes, I made sure he was gone. I walked up to the miniature alter. The man in the photograph was a handsome man. I had never learned to read or write, so I had the faintest idea of who it might be. Whoever it was, based on the old man's emotions, I doubted he was alive.

Carefully, I rolled the photograph up and slipped it inside my little bag. I also gathered up the fruits for my supper. I felt bad for taking the old man's offerings, but I also felt like maybe he would understand.

A few weeks passed, and the old man never returned. I deemed it safe to start stashing my things beneath some rocks close to the tree while I explored during the day.

My days were spent finding new locations to hang out. I found this wonderful fountain with lanterns surrounding it. I discovered a love for water and swimming, but unfortunately there were very few places to swim.

Eventually, I made a nice friend. Her name was Yan. She always had small errands to do and chores, but I helped her with them. They were the kinds of things I had never done before. She had to sweep out her house every day. It was something she hated, but I thought it was fun so I did it. Both of her parents worked.

Though Yan lived in the Outer Ring, she was one of those who had a house instead of an apartment. Her home was a small two-story, the second floor being two small bedrooms plus a bathroom.

Yan was my best friend. I started showing her all of my favorite spots in the city. One day, she finally asked me, "Lian, where do you live?"

I took her up to my hill and pulled out my small stash of supplies.

She looked down at my things, and then back at me. "Lian," she said with the saddest I'd ever seen her, "you don't need to live here."

"Why?" I asked.

"You should live in a building, not a tent. Come," she said, holding out her hand, "you can live with me."

"Are you sure?" I asked. I had never met her parents even though I was at her house every day and we'd been friends for months.

"Positive," she said.

I still insisted on bringing all of my possessions with me, but she didn't argue. Instead, she helped me carry them back to her house. By then, her mother was home from work. Boy, did she look surprised to see her daughter's dirty little friend.

Yan's mother instantly accepted me, as did her father. I even started calling them Mom and Dad like Yan did. They cleared out the second little bedroom upstairs for me to sleep in. As months went by, I continued to do chores and shopping with Yan. I became their second daughter.

Mom and Dad bought furniture to go into my room. I chose standard bed posts, claiming I could make my own carvings into them. Before putting my ideas onto my bed, I practiced endlessly with wood I found in the yard, the park, anywhere. When I had it perfected, I carved my design into my headboard and footboard. I had a full-length mirror that stood in the corner. Along with my chest of drawers for clothes, I also had a low-lying chest at the foot of my bed for keepsakes. I had washed my meager amount of clothes and fabrics from the hill and stored them in there.

Though I settled into home life fairly well, I still roamed. The invasion of Ba Sing Se never reached us where we were, and it was over shortly. During that time, I didn't go out as much, but afterward it was even more fascinating.

A lot of the swimming pools had been drained during the Fire Nation's short occupation. I pushed further and further out of town until I eventually found a lake. No one else ever went out there, so I would strip down and swim. I started diving down, pushing myself to my limits to see how far into the depths I could go without needing air.

I think sometimes Yan worried about me. Occasionally, I brought weird things home. She got it into her head that I needed to know how to read and write, so she would make me sit at their dining room table and learn. I picked it up fairly quick in my opinion, but she criticized my writing, saying it was sloppy.

Ever since I was young, I had always had problems sleeping. My body kept me awake all through the night. On nights when I really couldn't sleep, I would journey out and trail random people. I made it into a game to see how long I could follow someone before they noticed me. Eventually I figured out that if I wore all black, I would be harder to spot.

All I had to do was tell Mom and Dad that I needed new clothes. They gave Yan and me money to go purchase them the next day. We had enough money to buy four new outfits each. I of course chose two outfits my prissy sister would approve of. The other two would be used for my all-black outfit. I bought a red tunic with black leggings, and a black tunic with yellow and orange leggings.

Yan laughed at my clothing choice. "Combine one set and you're a ninja, combine the other and you're Fire Nation," she said. She found it so funny that I started wearing it like that hoping it would annoy her. In the end, I won.

Sometimes, Yan and I were entrusted to buy new household furniture. The day we were supposed to go select a new couch, Yan didn't feel well. Since our parents were expecting a new one when they got home, I went by myself.

I had the perfect one picked out at the market, and the owner told me he couldn't hold it.

"Maybe you can find a stranger to help you," he said mockingly.

"I will," I said, shrugging. I walked up to the nearest man. "Hey, can you help me with something?"

He was very handsome with pale skin and black hair. "Sure," he said. His voice was very husky.

I explained to him what I needed, and he hailed a carriage for me. He intimidated the owner into assisting him with loading it. The stranger had gotten up close to him and whispered something, and it killed me not knowing what he'd said.

The man walked back up to me. "We obviously won't fit in the carriage with the couch in there," he said. "So give the driver your address and we'll walk."

"You're walking with me?" I asked. He nodded. I ran and told the driver my address and he took off.

"What's your name?" the man asked, catching up to me.

"Lian," I said, starting to walk.

"I'm Zuko," he said.

"Cool name," I said, glancing over at him. He seemed a bit unnerved in my presence. I subtly checked my tunic front for any weird stains.

"You have an interesting color choice," he stated. I was wearing my red tunic and orange-yellow legging combination that Yan loathed.

I laughed. "My sister hates it."

He raised an eyebrow and laughed as well. "That would explain it."

"She's not my real sister, though," I told him.

"What is she then?" he asked, looking over at me.

"She's my best friend. I was alone but then she made me live with her," I said.

"You like it there, right?" he asked, a dark tone in his voice.

"Yes," I said. "If I didn't, I would leave."

"That's good to know," he said. "I have a real sister. Trust me; the real ones aren't easy either."

"Does she live here with you?" I asked.

He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "She doesn't. I really don't live here either. I'm just visiting."

"Where is she then?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he said lowly.

"That's okay," I said, trying to keep the mood light. "Can I ask where you're from?"

"The Fire Nation," he said.

"I've actually never met anyone from there."

He turned to me in surprise. "Really? Even when the soldiers were here?"

"Nope, never," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

Zuko laughed. "I've never met anyone who hadn't met someone from the Fire Nation."

"First time for everything," I said, raising an eyebrow.

Suddenly, his face was serious again. "Don't take this the wrong way," he said, "but you're so different from anyone I've met."

"Thanks, I guess." We were quickly approaching my house, the carriage waiting outside.

"So, uhm, hey," he managed to spit out.

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to go get some tea or something? Like tomorrow? Or whenever you might be free?" He was talking fast in a nervous way.

"I've actually never had real tea," I confessed.

He grinned at me. "I know the best place to go."

"We could do fun stuff before we sit and drink tea," I said.

The grin faltered a bit off his face. "Is that a 'no'?"

I gave him a broad smile. "Meet me here tomorrow. I can show you some cool places."

He smiled at me in return. After we had gotten the new couch in and the old one out, I gave him a fruit for the road.

"See you tomorrow," he said before taking a bite out of the apple. He waved with his free, non-apple hand before walking down the street.

"You made a cute friend today," Yan said. She looked awful, but she still had it in her to tease me.

"He is cute," I said. "He's from the Fire Nation, too." I turned to watch for her reaction.

"Really?" she said, her mouth wide open.

"You're going to catch flies," I said, using my hand to click her teeth together. "And yes, he is. We are also hanging out tomorrow."

"Does he know your secret?" she asked.

"Nope," I quickly replied.

"Will he ever know it?"

"Nope."

.o00o.

The next day, I took an especially scrubbing bath to look fresh for my outing with Zuko. I wore one of my nicer outfits at the protests of Yan. He showed up precisely on time, ready to go.

"You look…nice," he said.

"Sister," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Maybe it's better you don't dress yourself," he teased.

I stuck a tiny bit of my tongue out at him, and he did it back to me. I gave a little giggle. "So, fire boy, are you leading or am I?" I asked.

He tilted his head a bit. "You can lead," he said. He started to walk off, but I stopped him.

"Answer this question first," I said, leaning close to him.

"What?" he asked, his eyes playfully narrowed.

"Do you like to swim?" He smiled and nodded. I left him on the sidewalk to retrieve thick fluffy towels before we set off.

Though the trial to the lake only took roughly twenty minutes to walk, we passed the time quickly by talking. Zuko was friendly, but he had a darkness about him. I felt like it had probably scared off other girls, but it simply intrigued me.

A few docks had recently been added to the lake though it still seemed mostly secluded. In the past few months after the war, a couple more people had decided to visit it for leisure, but today only Zuko and I were there.

He awkwardly stood by as I laid out the towels in the sand. "So, we're just going to swim?"

"We can do something else afterwards," I said, standing and brushing the sand from my hands.

With no inhibitions, I quickly stripped down to my undergarments. Zuko still stood with his hands oddly placed at his sides.

"Well?" I said.

"You go ahead," he said.

I raced off at full-speed along the beach and the entire length of a dock before diving into the brisk water. Diving was a bliss onto itself. Feeling the water rushing around you, directing you to the bottom. The mid-second suspension of your body after it has lost its momentum. A powerful breaststroke to bring your nose back to the air, refreshing the stale air in your lungs. I lay back, floating, with my limbs spread wide like a starfish.

Turning back to shore, I noticed Zuko still by the towels. I called out to him and waved for him to join me. Reluctantly, he took off his clothes to his wrappings and walked down the dock. Instead of diving when he reached the end, he sat with his feet dangling in the water.

I submerged myself deep enough to swim undetected by him. Coming from under the dock, I gently tickled his feet as I swam around. I popped back on the surface and hopped next to him on the wooden planks.

Not saying a word, I turned my head, waiting for him to explain.

"It's the element opposite to mine," he said. His attention was focused on his feet, which were making soft circles and disturbing the water. "I have good memories with it, and bad ones, too."

"The good ones?" I asked.

"I went to a beach house in the Fire Nation with my family as a child," he said. "And I have an amazing waterbender friend."

"Bad ones?"

"I almost drowned when I was small. The ocean had sucked me in, and my father saved me." His head was still hung, but he had stopped moving his feet.

"Come make good memories," I said. Grabbing his hand, I slid off the dock and tread water in front of him.

He gave me a little grin. "Jump with me."

I climbed out and we backed up a few paces. Holding hands, we charged to the dock's end, pumping our legs and releasing in perfect harmony to soar into the blue. Under the water, I checked to make sure he was okay and at the surface before I came up.

When I resurfaced, he greeted me with a smile. Instead of using speech, I gave him a smile in return. We understood each other, and he playfully pushed my head underwater. He climbed back out onto the dock, his back to the water. With perfect form, he executed a backflip into the lake.

I clapped for him and held up ten fingers for a score, using just my legs to stay afloat. We swam and performed acrobatics until we had exhausted ourselves. After we had laid out and were completely dry, we dressed again.

"Time for lunch?" he asked.

I nodded in return as I tied back the front of my tunic. We folded up our towels and walked back to the streets of the Outer Ring, all while holding hands. After we dined at a quaint little restaurant, he walked me back home. On the sidewalk, I stood on my tiptoes to give him a peck on the cheek, and we agreed to meet the next night to go out again.

As I entered the house, Yan immediately began fielding me questions. _Did you kiss him? Why not? You didn't swim naked, did you? Where did you eat lunch? Are you going out again? _Laughing, I waved her off and showered. I made sure to wash the towels well to get all of the lake grime out of them and hung them to dry in the yard.

Around the dinner table later that night, Yan announced Zuko to our parents.

"Lian has a boyfriend," she said.

"Lian?" Mom asked.

My mouth was full of food, so I nodded.

"Is he handsome?" Mom asked. I swallowed and answered that yes, of course he was.

"Did he pay for you?" Dad asked. Yes, Dad, of course he paid.

I answered many more questions about where had I met him, what did we do, is there a second date, blah, until they were finally out of things to ask.

"One last question," Mom said as I was rising to wash my bowl. "Do we get to meet him?"

My cheeks flushed red, and I smiled uncontrollably. "Maybe."

The next morning, I woke up to find a few bills and a note on my nightstand. "Use this to buy a nice dress (dress!) for your date. Love, Mom and Dad"

Yan was in on the plan and had been prepared to go out for hours. She dragged me out of bed and practically dressed me herself so we could leave.

We went to nearly every dress boutique in the Outer Ring trying to find the right dress. Yan would pick out the ones she fancied and forced me to try them on. Of course, I didn't like any of her choices. I knew the right one when I saw it.

It cut right above my knees, and had straps roughly four-fingers wide. The print was a pale, pale pink with little blue flowers randomly placed everywhere. With an empire waist, the dress had a band of fabric that tied into a bow in the back of the garment.

I tried it on and came out of the dressing room. Yan stood back, hip popped out and arms crossed. Her face was stern and judgmental, but then it blossomed into a huge smile.

"Perfect," she said. We bought it and went home.

We went through our daily motions of doing the chores, and afterwards I took a bath to freshen up. Zuko arrived right before our parents were due home from work. He arrived wearing a rich garment of a Fire Nation style and a small bouquet of delicate flowers.

"Thank you," I said, taking the flowers. "I'll find a vase for them."

I finished putting the flowers into a vase, leaving them home, and we set off.

"Where are we going?" I asked, intertwining my fingers with his.

"The Jasmine Dragon in the Upper Ring," he said. Zuko helped me into his waiting carriage and we sped off.

"This will be my first time going up there," I said.

"You're in for a treat." He smiled at me from across the carriage.

The ride to the Jasmine Dragon was a short one. He stepped out first, and then held my hand so I could get down. The building was magnificent with golden dragons etched onto it. We stepped through the large double front doors into the dining area.

A large, green carpet with yellow dragons was laid out in front of us, drawing us into the shop. All of the wait staff was also dressed in green and yellow. In the corner was a pai sho table with several elder men seated around it. One of them stood and came over to us.

"Welcome, young lady," he said. His deep voice reverberated in my chest. "What is your name?"

"Lian," I replied.

"Meaning 'lotus,'" he said. Then he smiled up at Zuko. "Choose any table you like."

Zuko returned his smile and led me to a table in the corner. A man came out to take our tea orders, and introduced himself as the shop manager.

"Your order will be top priority," he said before retreated back into the kitchen.

"You get some special treatment here," I said, smiling at Zuko.

"My uncle owns it," he said. "The old man in the corner." He pointed back to the elder gentleman who had greeted us first.

I tilted my head. "Cool," I said.

Our tea arrived along with some petite cakes. The manager poured our cups for us before retreating. Since I had never had tea before, I had let Zuko order. My fine porcelain cup held jasmine tea, the brew for which the shop was named. I tried a sip, letting it swish around my tongue before swallowing.

"How is it?" Zuko asked.

"I think I like tea," I said, nodding my head.

I drained the rest of my cup and ate all of my cakes in a few bites. He offered me his cakes, but I declined them. Zuko studied me for a moment, making me uncomfortable.

"If you could go anywhere on a vacation, where would you go?" he asked.

I tried to think carefully. I had heard of both Water Tribes, but that was too icy for my taste. There were plenty of interesting places in the Earth Kingdom, but none quite so grand as Ba Sing Se.

"Maybe one of those old Air Nomad temples," I said.

"I've been to some," he said. "They're really cool."

"You've been there?" I asked.

"Yeah." He looked down and pushed a finger into one of the cake's sides. "I traveled for about three years."

"I'm jealous," I said, smiling.

He gave me a remorseful look. "I wasn't as grateful then. But I've been nearly everywhere on the planet."

Polishing off the cakes, he asked me if I was ready to go.

"I don't want to go home, but I'd like to show you something," I said.

He agreed to it and we rose to leave. His uncle approached us before we exited the door.

"It was very nice to meet you, Lian," he said, bowing to me.

I returned his bow. "Pleasure meeting you as well." I turned around, but not before I caught the secret wink from uncle to nephew.

We rode in Zuko's carriage just past the wall separating the Rings. From there, we walked. Holding hands, I led him to the lantern fountain, though I knew it wouldn't be lit.

"I've been here before," he said.

"The lamps are out." Disappointment could be felt in my voice.

He released my hand. "I'll fix it." Going around the fountain, he bent fire into all the lamps, making them shine and reflect beautifully in the water. He ended next to me again.

"It's beautiful," I said, turning toward him. "Thank you."

"You're not surprised," he said, grabbing my hand.

"You are from the Fire Nation," I said. "So no."

"Are you scared?" he asked.

"Of you?" I laughed. "Not one bit."

"Good." He looked down at me and placed his free hand on my chin. Turning my face up towards him, he leaned down and planted a soft kiss on my lips. He eased back, but I pushed up for a second one. This one lasted longer, and our lips burned together with the heat of a firebender.

"I really like you," he said as we broke apart.

"I like you, too." I smiled at him. We drifted our way back to my house, but the smile didn't fade from my lips. Outside my door, we kissed again before parting for the night.

Though we didn't make plans to go out again the next day, part of me did expect to see him.

The following morning, Yan said she didn't feel well again. She tended to come down with awful headaches that proved her to be incapacitated. So I left her at home to do the grocery shopping. When I returned, she was lying on the couch with an ice bag placed on her forehead.

"Your boyfriend is here," she said, not looking at me or changing position. "I sent him up to your room."

Quickly, I set the produce down in the kitchen and raced upstairs. When I entered my room, Zuko was sitting on my bed, his back to me. My chest at the foot of my bed was open.

I heard footsteps and a voice behind me. "It was time he knew, Lian," Yan said. Tears began pouring down my face as Zuko turned to me.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: Double chapter night! please review (:

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CHAPTER 10 – ZUKO

The day after our date at the Jasmine Dragon, I returned to Lian's house to take her somewhere new. I was going to show her Lu Ten's grave site, and we were going to lay flowers and fruits there to commemorate him.

When I arrived at the front door, Yan answered it.

"Hello, Lian's boyfriend," she said. Her hip was popped with one hand on the edge of the door. In her other hand was a bag of ice.

"Is Lian here?" I asked, peering around Yan.

"No," she said. Her eyes were wide and she was blinking frequently. "She'll be back soon, though. You can come in."

"Thanks," I said as she stepped back to allow me through.

"I think maybe she mentioned something about a present for you in her room. Possibly in the chest at the foot of her bed. Go ahead and look," Yan said, going over to the couch. "She'll probably just give it to you when she gets back anyway. Upstairs on the right." She lay back on the couch and placed the bag on her forehead. Do not disturb.

Going up the stairs, I entered Lian's bedroom. It had few decorations, but some relatively nice furniture. I unlatched the trunk and opened the lid. My jaw went slack. Parts of my past were in this trunk.

I lifted out my blue mask. The Blue Spirit. Is she the firebender? Why would she not tell me? Digging further, I found the portrait of my cousin, Lu Ten. How could she possibly know he was related to me? Was this just a coincidence, or had she been stalking me?

Taking these two items, I sat on the edge of her bed, the springs squeaking beneath my weight. A few moments later, I heard voices downstairs, and someone was coming up. A second set joined us.

"It was time he knew, Lian," Yan said.

I twisted to look at Lian. She was crying, her salty tears streaking down her face. Yan gave me a smug look before descending the stairs.

"Zuko –" Lian said.

"I have so many questions."

"And I can explain!" she said. Lian made no move to join me on her bed. "I knew the lanterns weren't going to be lit, but I wanted to see if you could firebend, too."

"Obviously I can. Why did you knock me out that night?" I asked.

"I was scared," she said. Her tears had not eased up. "I didn't know if you were the police or what. I didn't want to get caught firebending."

I looked back down at the mask and photograph. "Were you trying to give me hints? Taking me to that lake and the fountain?"

"I wasn't!" she cried. "I found that mask one day diving in the lake. I like it so I brought it back and washed it."

I held it up to her. "This is mine. I was once wanted by my Nation because of this mask. I threw it in the lake so it would be gone for good."

"I didn't know," she said quietly. Her face was arranged into a furrowed mess.

"What about the portrait?" I held up Lu Ten's face.

"I used to live out there. I saw your uncle there, and he brought that with him. By his actions, I knew it was important, and important things shouldn't be rained on, so I took it."

My feelings were tangled into a complex web. "Come over here, and sit with me, and tell me everything." She obeyed, the bed slightly protesting at our combined weights.

Lian's crying had mostly stopped, and she started her story. She told me everything that had happened to her. The old women trying to make her ladylike, and the boys making her an outcast. Her story stopped the day we had met at the furniture store. It had been simple luck, a chance meeting between two strangers.

"You don't know your parents," I said.

"I don't," she said, hanging her head. "Maybe that's why I can firebend. Maybe I'm really not from the Earth Kingdom."

I gave a small chuckle. "You're really agile though, almost as good as me."

She looked over at me then, the first time she'd done so since sitting on the bed. "Really?"

"Really." I studied her for a minute. "I haven't been entirely honest with you."

Her eyes grew wide, and then shot back to normal. "How so?"

"I told you I'm from the Fire Nation, but I didn't tell you who I am there." I paused, trying to push down the lump in my throat. "I'm famous worldwide. I'm friends with Avatar Aang. I'm the –"

She cut me off. "Fire Lord."

I nodded. Her beautiful face drooped into a heart wrenching sadness.

"Lian," I said. As she looked up, I cupped both of her cheeks in my hands. Drawing her face to mine, I kissed her with everything I had. She returned it, and I could feel all of my anger and mistrust and betrayal fading into forgiveness.

"You're not mad?" she asked.

"No, I'm not." I folded her into my arms and kissed her forehead. We kissed a bit more before I left.

I had since moved out of my little Outer Ring apartment and was back at Uncle's. Immediately, I went to his tea shop to propose an idea.

He listened carefully and nodded at all the right times before agreeing to my idea. Using his impressive influence, he had it all arranged by night fall.

The next morning, I took my carriage back down to Lian's house. I strode up the sidewalk, knowing her entire family was home.

I knocked and was let in by Lian. Her parents were seated at the dining room table. They held hands as her mother cried while her father looked gravely concerned.

"I'm Zuko," I said. "It's nice to meet you both."

My greeting was met with sharp looks. "If you'll excuse us, son, we're having a difficult day. Please come back some other time," her father said.

"You both were told not to go to work today," I said.

Her father's face burned red with anger around his thick black mustache. "How did you know that?"

"Because I arranged it."

"Why would you do this to us?" her mother burst out. Lian sidled up to me. I could feel her anxiety, but she slid her hand into mine, signaling she trusted me.

"Ma'am, I'm helping you."

"How are you doing that?" Her father quickly rose and got into my face. "You stroll up in here, taking our jobs, and claiming to help us? You're sending us to the soup kitchen!"

"Sir, I'll go ahead and inform you that my uncle is General Iroh. He holds a great amount of respect in this city."

"So what if he's your uncle?" he yelled.

"That means I am the Fire Lord."

Her father's face turned a new shade of red, and he slowly backed from my face. He bowed.

"I'm deeply sorry, Fire Lord."

"No need to bow, sir." I motioned for him to rise with one hand. "I would recommend all of you pack your things."

Though her mother's cries had ceased, tears continued to slip down her face. "Why?"

"You're moving."

"To where?" Lian asked.

"The Upper Ring."

Her parents gasped, and with their mouths still wide open, they looked at each other. Her mother rushed to join her father as they both bowed to me.

I shrugged and laughed. "It's for a selfish reason. I don't want to travel so far to see Lian every day."

They rose and smiled at me. For the next hour, the house was a flurry of activity. Everyone rushed to pack their things. I helped Lian's mother in the kitchen, carefully wrapping each dish in paper before placing it in a box. The moving carriage arrived along with a second carriage, now owned by the family, to carry them to their new home.

Upstairs in Lian's room, we were getting the last of her things.

"Zuko," she said. She put down her box and came over to me. Wrapping her arms around my waist, she rested her head on my chest.

Sliding my arms around her, I murmured a soft "What?" into her hair.

"It's cruel to make girls love you if you don't love them back," she said, her face still buried in my tunic.

"Who said I don't?" I said. She lifted her face to mine and kissed me. "Let's get the rest of your things." We loaded up downstairs and she promised to visit me the next day.

We saw each other every day. Her mother now worked in the Jasmine Dragon. She baked new creations to accompany the tea. Her father worked as a council member to help improve the life down in the Outer Ring.

Lian and I sometimes swam in her backyard pool, but we also visited the lake a few times. We journeyed out to Lu Ten's grave one day, and put a proper headstone in place of the plain rocks. We would sip tea in Uncle's shop and eat little cakes. Sometimes, we would practice our bending skills, and I began teaching her new moves and steps so she could improve. In the Outer Ring, she took me to an abandoned rose garden. The roses climbed the trellises high above the walls. It was the perfect secluded spot to make out in.

I never wanted to leave Lian, but I would need to return to my throne eventually. One night, Uncle was still at work and Lian had gone back home. Rummaging through my things, I found the small box I had forgotten about. Opening it revealed a beautifully set black diamond on white gold.

Originally, I had purchased it for Mai, back when I thought I was in love with her. Was I ever wrong. Mai was a puddle compared to the vast ocean Lian brought me.

Snapping the box shut, I placed it in a larger box and wrapped it in special paper. I tried making a good bow to place on top. Then, I sent a messenger bird telling Lian to come over the next night for dinner, and to wear that pretty pink dress. When Uncle arrived home, I told him of my plan.

"I'm so proud of you, son," he said, pulling me into a bear hug. He pulled back and set me at arm's length from him. "You have grown so much."

"I owe you everything," I said, bowing to him.

I slept in the next day to guarantee that I was well-rested. Before I bathed, I made sure the apartment was sparkly clean and ran out to get the groceries.

By the time dinner was nearly ready, I had already decorated the dining table. I had bought fine crystal vases for little flower bouquets and elaborate candlesticks which were already lit. For dinner, I had grilled salmon fillets and chopped vegetables and simmered them into a soup. Just as I pulled the fish off the grill, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," I said, bringing the plate in off the patio. Lian entered the apartment, bringing a glow with her.

I set the plate on the table. "You look beautiful."

She smiled at me. "And you look handsome." Coming up to me, she wrapped her arms around me and gave me a kiss. I felt her hand slip something into my pocket.

"You simply think you're sneaky, Blue Spirit," I said, reaching in to retrieve her gift. It was a perfectly folded crane. She had a knack for those. I set it gently on the table next to my plate and kissed her again. "Let's eat," I said.

I pulled her chair out for her and placed her portions on her plate before seating myself. We ate in silence comfortably, a gift that had come with being so familiar with each other.

"The fish is really good," she said after she'd finished it. I thanked her. When we were both finished with our meals, I collected our plates and set them next to the sink. In the stove were two miniature cakes I had been keeping warm. I set them on the table, one for her and one for me.

"Oh, forks," I said. I grabbed them and twisted back around too quickly. One of the forks went flying from my hand onto the floor next to Lian. Bending under the table, I picked up the fork with one hand while reaching into my pocket with the other.

On one knee, I came out from under the table and looked up at Lian, holding out a box. "Open it," I said. I rested one arm on my knee to appear casual.

She tore into the paper, ripping it away from the outer box. Raising an eyebrow at me, she gently shook the unwrapped box side-to-side before opening the flap. Setting the larger box on the table, she held the smaller black one in her hands.

"I love you," I said as she gingerly opened the box. Her lips parted the slightest bit as she looked from the ring to me, and back again.

"Zuko—" she said, my name drifting off her lips.

"Lian, will you be my wife?" My heart was beating so fast I thought I might pass out. My palms were slick in a nervous sweat.

Lian stared at the ring. Slowly, she pulled it from its cushion and slid it onto her left ring finger. Scooting her chair back, she knelt on the floor in front of me. She reached for my hand and placed it on her cheek. She interlaced her fingers over mine, just like she'd done while wearing the blue mask in that crappy Outer Ring apartment. Dropping her hand from mine, she leaned forward and kissed me.

I moved closer to her, and we wrapped our arms around each other's torsos. Lian broke away from our kiss first, and laid her head on my shoulder.

"Yes," she whispered into my ear. "Did you ever think of anything else?"


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: I hope you like my little ceremony here. There will only be one more chapter after this one, and it'll be in the far future.

* * *

CHAPTER 11 – IROH

Several months after Zuko had left Ba Sing Se, I returned to the Fire Nation. Instead of taking my airship there, I took an ocean ship laden with gifts. The majority of my sands of time were in the lower half of the hourglass.

It was dark when I arrived. Entering the harbor below the Fire Nation capital, I noticed many changes from my last visit. It was not as heavily guarded as before, and decorations were strung everywhere for the celebration. The statue of my father that had guarded the port was destroyed. It was replaced with a large dragon's head that peered at visitors.

I received royal treatment when I stepped off my boat and onto the dock. Servants flooded my ship's holding to begin transporting the gifts. A carriage waited for me to climb aboard. But looking into the sky lit by the huge fire lamps, a young man on a glider approached and circled around before landing.

"Iroh." The young man bowed to me.

I returned his bow. "Avatar Aang."

"It's nice of you to come all this way," he said.

"I wouldn't think of not coming for my nephew's wedding." The Avatar smiled at me.

"Come with me," he said. "Zuko said you prefer walking."

The carriage driver overhead the exchange and shrugged his shoulders. Walking over to him, I held out a paper bill folded into a crane. "For your trouble." He looked at the origami, and then smiled at me.

It was a short walk to the capital, though the switchbacks leading into the crater were tough on my old joints. The Avatar noticed my slowing gait and stiffness. He blew into a white whistle. I heard a roar overhead. It was the Avatar's flying bison.

"Here, Appa can take us the rest of the way," the Avatar said. He helped me into the animal's saddle. "Yip yip, Appa!"

I had never flown on a bison before, but it was one of my favorite experiences. I had grown up in this city, and I'd seen it a million times, but never from such a view. My nephew was doing a great job with his reconstruction of parts of the city. Zuko was making reforms to it, eliminating the previous gloom to create a peaceful environment.

The bison landed outside the Royal Palace and gave another groaning roar. Zuko emerged from the palace doors.

"Uncle!" He ran up to the animal to help me down.

"Thank you, Avatar." I bowed again.

He bowed in return out of respect. "You're welcome." He rose to meet my eye. "And call me Aang." I gave the young man a smile as he climbed back onto his pet.

He had dropped the grudge against me after he learned that I'd led the re-conquering of Ba Sing Se. His waterbender companions hadn't been as forgiving right away, but they, too, eventually came around. The days are particularly joyous when I have the honor of serving them in my shop.

"I'm nearly done with renovating the Palace," Zuko said. He led me inside. The Palace was brighter thanks to skylights and more lamps. It had the feel of a real home instead of a simple stone structure. The love and peace was palpable in the air.

Lian came through the doorway to a sitting room. "Uncle!" she cried. She ran and engulfed me in a hug.

Her manners were still not as refined as Zuko might like them to be, but her heart was gold. She now wore traditional Fire Nation dresses instead of the ragged clothes she'd worn in the Earth Kingdom.

"The servant we sent to be an apprentice learned wonderfully," she said. "Her tea is now nearly identical to yours."

"You did well, Uncle," Zuko said.

A young girl had arrived at the Jasmine Dragon one day with a scroll from my nephew. She was to learn my art of making tea. In return for her lifelong job at the Royal Brewer, she had a small wing for her home.

"She learned well," I said.

"She's making us some right now in the dining room." The three of us seated ourselves in the room, Zuko and Lian across from me. The outside wall of the room had been torn out and replaced by floor-to-ceiling windows. Through the glass was a small pond with turtleducks happily floating around.

"So far it looks like you've done well on your home," I said.

Zuko grinned with pride. "I'm pleased with how it's turned out. Lian was a major player."

The girl smiled at him. "I made him add in some Earth flair. It helped it feel like home."

Our tea server came into the room. On her tray was an Earth-style teapot and matching cups, and a plate of treats. Using silver tongs, she delicately placed the sweets on our individual plates. After pouring our tea, she went back to the kitchen.

"Oh, my! I would think I had made this tea," I said after taking a sip.

Lian nodded and leaned against Zuko. "From what I've heard, you're the best teacher there is."

"Zuko flatters," I said, waving my hand.

We finished our tea and snacks in a soft, calming silence.

"You must be tired from your trip," Zuko said.

"I would like a nap right now," I said.

"I'll take you to your room then." My nephew stood and led me to an old guest bedroom.

He smiled before opening the door. The bed's blanket had a large white lotus printed in its center and spreading out to touch the edges. The furniture was more Earth-style than Fire-style, a brown oak stain instead of black. A decorative pai sho table was placed in the corner. On the bureau was a delicate teapot with a lotus design.

"This room was made with you in mind," Zuko said, walking in and sitting in an armchair. The armchair had a matching partner and they were next to a small bookshelf.

"I may need to redo my apartment when I return," I said. Truly, I did love the room.

"We designed it so it's yours whenever you visit," he said.

"Visit? Oh, right." I turned away from him in shame, but acted like I was inspecting the wallpaper.

"You will come back, right Uncle?" Zuko asked. I heard him rise and stand next to me.

"Zuko, I'm getting old."

"All of us are constantly aging."

I laughed at him. "You sound like your old uncle." I turned toward him. "I don't know how much longer I'll be here before I go to the Spirit World. I may not have another chance to return."

Zuko's face fell. "Lian and I would love for you to come back. After the wedding, we want to have a child."

"A Fire Nation heir."

"Yes. Before we came back here, we went to the village she'd grown up in. We asked around before we found the oldest woman in the town. She said that Lian had been placed at a young couple's doorstep one night, and no one knew where she'd come from. The couple took her in and raised her until they died. She was three then."

He paused and looked away before meeting my eyes. "She can bend. When we told the old woman, she said there were rumors that someone had seen the woman who had left Lian. Rumor said the woman was Fire Nation, and had run away from here."

"So your child will be full-blooded Fire Nation?" I asked.

"That's what we're thinking." Zuko shoulders straightened and he unconsciously stood taller. "He won't be raised with the Old Nation values though. He will learn to be good and peaceful with everyone. I'll teach him to not use his bending for harm or power over others."

"Will you also teach him how to handle double swords?" I asked.

Zuko's seriousness faded a bit as he chuckled. "Most likely. And maybe we'll buy him a mask."

"The Blue Spirit lives on," I said.

Zuko nodded. "I'll leave you to rest."

"Tomorrow is your big day, Zuko." I gave him a wink before shutting the door behind him.

I stayed up for a while reading some of the scrolls on the shelf. I laid out the pai sho tiles to resemble on ongoing game. Then, I lay down to sleep.

The next morning I woke up to Zuko sitting in one of my armchairs. His eyes had dark bags beneath them and his skin seemed more pale than usual.

"Zuko," I said sitting up, "did you get any sleep last night?"

He looked over at me. "Not much. I'm nervous about getting married."

"Every groom feels nervous before he gets married. It won't go away until you see her coming toward you down the aisle."

"That's reassuring, thanks," he said, turning away from me. _Sarcasm. _

"You have nothing to worry about, Zuko. Lian loves you, and today is the day you truly announce it and proclaim it to the world."

"It's not Lian, or being married to Lian." Zuko made eye contact again. "All of the Fire Nation noble families are attending."

I now knew what he was really talking about. "You're worried she's going to be there."

Zuko nodded. "And I know how deadly she is. She could hurt Lian out of spite."

"You need to have faith that she has matured past that. She ended the relationship, so she had to know that you would find another girl to love and marry." I rose from my bed and put a robe on over my underwear.

"Thanks, Uncle." Zuko rose to join me. "You helped calm my nerves."

I twisted his chin to inspect his eyes. "We need to make you look alive before the ceremony."

We went from my bedroom to the dining room for breakfast. Our meal was already laid out for us when we sat down. Eggs, bacon, and small batter cakes were sitting on our plates accompanied with a small bowl of rice. Tea was served – a nice black tea.

After we finished eating, Zuko and I walked to his office room to go over the ceremony preparations. It was definitely going to be a traditional Fire Nation ceremony. I had been to a few in my lifetime, including my own and my brother's.

My marriage was short-lived. I lost my wife to a terrible unknown disease. It took over her body and ate away at her until she lost the fight. Though it only lasted five years, it gave me my son and many good memories. It had been twenty-five years since her death, but I'll still hear her voice right as I'm drifting off to sleep. She had married me when I was a general, but her wish was for me to retire and be my true self. Even as she was dying, I couldn't release my military career.

"Uncle?" The sound of my nephew's voice snapped my mind back to the present.

"Huh?"

"What color fireworks?" Zuko asked again.

I looked down at the sheet he had pushed towards me. I shrugged. "Use all of them."

He shot me an impatient look before checking off all of the various colors.

"Where are you going for your honeymoon?" I asked.

"We're going to the Northern Air Temple. She chose it."

"I heard it was rebuilt beautifully," I said.

"I helped oversee parts of it. Aang helped, too. That was where we stayed before taking down my father." The words poured out before Zuko could control them, and his face burned red.

Knowing words were useless this time, I just patted his shoulder.

That afternoon, I helped Zuko get ready for the ceremony. He wore the robes of a royal groom, the same ones I, his father, his grandfather, and the rest of the men in our family had worn for generations. Supposedly, Lian was wearing the robes of the royal bride.

Zuko stood before the mirror, examining himself. Before leaving to take my seat, I patted Zuko's shoulder to reassure him. He smiled at me in the mirror.

In Fire Nation weddings, it is custom for the guests to rise while the family enters the chapel. No wedding had ever seen a family such as this. Of course, Lian's adoptive family and I were part of it, but the Avatar, the water tribe siblings, the small earth bending master, and the Kyoshi Warriors walked in line with us.

Seated on either side of me were Aang and the earthbender. We remained standing for Zuko to walk in. He looked like a refined king in his robes. Small tears of pride threatened to run down my cheeks at the sight of him.

Then the band began to play the signaling music for Lian to walk down the aisle. As she emerged, gasps could be heard all around the chapel. She was beautiful in her Fire Nation dress, and she looked every bit a Fire Lord's wife. Eyes stayed on her while I watched Zuko's reaction. A small bit of steam rose from his face where he was bending off tears.

They joined together at the front of the chapel, a fire sage standing behind them. Lian handed her bouquet off to Yan sitting on the bench. Bride and groom stood side-by-side, holding hands, for the majority of the ceremony. Exchanging their vows, they slid their respective rings onto the other's finger. Together, they lit a large candle on the altar. Some couples use a match or another lit candle. These two used bending.

The sage announced that they may kiss, and as they did the entire chapel warmed with their love for each other. Golden dragons on the wall burst flame through their mouths as the couple held hands and exited the chapel. The sage announced that the guests may join the now-married couple in the reception hall for a feast.

By tradition, the family left first followed by the guests.

The reception hall was decorated beautifully. At the royal table, places were set for only Zuko, Lian, Aang, and me. Red tablecloths adorned each table with vases of white roses every few feet in the middle. Next to the flowers were gold candlesticks, the white candles already lit.

On the stage was the old music night band from Zuko's ship. They began playing soft Fire Nations songs for ambience.

Plates were piled high with roast pork, roast duck, fried rice, salmon, greens, and small bread rolls. The hall was filled with a joyous roar as the guests enjoyed themselves and happily ate. Dessert was then served; a high cake of chocolate with white frosting and a few smaller cakes with different flavors.

The band announced for Lian to go on stage to throw the bouquet. All of the unmarried women could go up to catch it. Lian glanced back once before throwing, smacking Katara with it. The bride turned and grinned, making it obvious she had planned it. Even from across the room I could see the flow of red on the waterbender's face.

Zuko made a smart comment to Aang, making the young Avatar laugh nervously and blush.

When the sky darkened, everyone went outside to watch the ceremonious fireworks. They were a great display of the livelihood and festivity the Fire Nation was capable of with its power. Some guests were in awe of them, except for the blind earthbender. She had her arms crossed looking in the direction of the ground.

I was watching the fireworks when someone tapped my shoulder. Turning, I came face to face with Mai.

"Hello, Mai," I said.

She gave me a bow. "General Iroh."

"Retired General," I corrected. "How are you?"

She crossed her arms and her face went flat. "I'm sorry but I don't want to make small talk. I have a question."

"Ask your question then."

"Is he happy with her?" She jerked her head in the direction of Zuko and Lian.

"She makes him very happy," I said.

Mai exhaled. "Good." She turned to walk away but I caught her by the shoulder.

"I now have a question for you. Why does it concern you whether my nephew is happy with his wife?" I asked.

"I broke his heart," she said looking me straight in the eye. Her voice was flat. "I wanted him to find someone else. Someone who could lift the darkness, not add to it." I let her turn and leave, and she didn't once glance back.

Just as the finale was lighting up the sky, I knew the Fire Lord and his wife were boarding a ship much like the one I'd left in Ba Sing Se. They were leaving for their honeymoon and watching the fireworks from above. For the next few months, I was in charge of the Fire Nation. I was interim Lord of a nation I had been born to lead, but had never wanted to.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: This is the last chapter to my story. It was a bit of a rough one to write. I hope you enjoy it, and thanks for reading (:

* * *

CHAPTER 12 – ZUKO

At last the things for my trip were all packed away into my airship. It was the latest invention in the market, and the fastest in the world. Instead of the Mechanist from the Air Temple hand making all the machines, they were pumped out of large factories.

My grandson was away at the military, but my daughter met me outside the Royal Palace to say goodbye.

"Goodbye, Daddy," she said. Her long black hair was loose and it got caught in my fingers at she hugged me tightly.

"I'll see you soon, sweetheart." I kissed the top of her head.

"I love you." Her eyes were filled with tears as she pulled back. In her entire life, I had never been apart from her for a long period of time.

"I love you, too." I broke apart our hug, and boarded my ship before I got too emotion to leave.

.o00o.

The Avatar died fifteen years ago. He only lived to be sixty-six, the time incased in ice shortening his life.

He felt himself slipping, and sent messages to all of us left. The messages were staggered so we each got individual time with him. Aang lived on Air Temple Island in Republic City until he took his final breath.

I had arrived on a flying ship, and left it parked in a courtyard on the island. Aang's youngest son, an airbender named Tenzin, ushered me to Aang's room. Tenzin also lived on the island with his own budding family.

"Hey, Zuko." Aang tried his best to sound excited though his exhaustion overpowered it. Sitting upright in his small bed was a struggle, and Katara had to assist him.

"Aang," I said, sitting in a small chair next to his bed.

"How are you, buddy?" he asked.

"Better than you," I said. I interlocked my fingers. "How is Katara taking it?"

"She's sad, but she's strong." Aang was looking at the doorway she had exited through. "If not for the iceberg, I would have never met her." His eyes met mine again. "We're grateful for that."

I was quiet for a moment. "I'm going to miss you."

Aang gave a weak smile. "I know you are." His face looked sad. "Soon, there will be no one to miss."

"Only Katara and I will be left." I stared into my lap, remembering all the other funerals I had attended. Iroh, Ozai, Sokka, Suki, Azula, Toph. All dead.

"Funny how you're the oldest," Aang said. "You've managed to outlast nearly everybody." He laughed in spite himself.

"It's my ornery fire blood." I too gave a little smile.

"Is Lian doing well?" he asked, changing the subject.

"She's doing great. While my daughter does her thing, Lian tries taking care of our grandson. He's a pistol."

"Wonder where he got that," Aang said. Even in his deathbed, he was cracking jokes at my expense.

"We've come so far," I said.

"Fifty-four years of friendship."

"And your wife never trusted me one hundred per cent."

"Some things she never forgets," Aang said. "She's stubborn that way."

A little bit of water from the flower vase on the side table rose up and dripped onto Aang's head.

"Someone is listening in on us," he called out. Katara peered around the door.

"I might be old, but my ears still work just fine," she said. She walked back into the room and stopped on the rug.

"Sorry, Katara," Aang said, hanging his head mockingly.

"It's okay, silly Avatar," she said. She went to his bedside and kissed the tip of his arrow tattoo. He gently pulled her around so she sat next to him on the bed.

"Aang," I said.

He slid his arms around his wife. "What Zuko?"

Our eyes met. "I won't go to your funeral. I –"

He cut me off. "That's fine. I understand, buddy."

I believed his words. Aang was a compassionate and honest person. He truly understood that his funeral would be one too many.

"Katara, help me," Aang said. She hoisted his wasting body out of the bed, so he was standing. Holding out his arms to me, he said my name.

Katara held his shoulders until I reached him. I hugged him, but not too tight as to snap his frail bones. At sixty-six, Aang was still taller than me.

"Zuko," he whispered to me, "I'm proud of you. I wanted you to know that. After you leave, no one else is coming to visit. You're the last one. I love you, man."

"I love you, too." I nearly choked on my sorrow. The Avatar released me and Katara put him back in the bed.

"I'll walk you out," she said, tucking the blankets around her husband.

"I'm fine," I said. "I'll go alone." I turned and left Air Temple Island, vowing to never return.

.o00o.

I was traveling as a peace ambassador. At the United Force's headquarters, they received messages about rising conflicts. I was known worldwide, and I signed up for the job one day and got it on the spot.

Today was my starting day. First I sailed to HQ to receive an assignment.

A small Earth village was having arguments between earthbenders and firebenders. Nearly all of these fights involved firebenders.

The situation was a simple one to diffuse. It was a small land ownership dispute. I settled it in a few hours. One man claimed the line was further over than his neighbor was allowing it.

The houses were within small yards of the village. It wasn't much grass to fight over. So I had each man stand by their front steps and throw a painted rock as far as they could.

After the rocks were thrown, I used my feet as measurement to count the space between the two stones. Once I had my number, I divided it by half and measured that out.

"This is the new line," I said. "It's midway between the rocks." I grabbed a nearby stick and jammed it into the ground.

Both of the men agreed on that spot, and I sailed off again.

Most of the assignments were small. Some even involved professional bending disputes over rules and fairness. The problems were trivial compared to how the world had been fifty years before.

.o00o.

When I was sixty-two, my grandson was born. It was one of the happiest days of my life.

Lian stayed in the birthing room with our daughter, Rong. I waited outside with her husband, Zhao. I thought he was going to pass out from nerves. While laughing at him, I remembered standing outside this same room when my daughter was born.

Surprisingly, she had not married a military man. She fell in love with a poet, and kept by her love. They were a happy couple, and never held bitter grudges against one another. My daughter and son-in-law lived in a wing of the Royal Palace. Now a child was going to join them there.

From behind the door, we heard a baby's wails. Zhao gave me a wide-eyed stare beneath his sweat-covered brow. Ten minutes later, a nurse popped her head out and told us to come in.

In my Rong's arms was a tiny bundle. Lian stood next to the bed, her hand on our daughter's shoulder. She looked up at me, smiling, with pure pride written on her face.

"It's a little boy," she said, beaming down at him.

"Here, Daddy," Rong said. She held out the small body wrapped in blankets. He chose that moment to open his eyes. In his eyes, lived another man I had once known.

Seeing me, his small curl of a mouth opened. His golden wise eyes studied my face, taking all of me in.

"We would like for you to name him," Zhao said, placing his hand on my shoulder.

"Iroh," I said, tears in my eyes.

The baby blinked at the sound of the name. "Iroh," I whispered. I held him for another moment longer before handing him to his father.

Lian came and wrapped her arms around my middle. She lifted her head towards mine, asking for a kiss. I granted it to her, draping one arm across her shoulder. We watched our little family, all of the love filling the room and spreading throughout the entire Royal Palace.

.o00o.

I received a telegraph on my ship saying my attendance was required. It came marked urgent, with my grandson's name attached.

Quickly, I redirected my course for the HQ.

Bursting in the doors of the building, I demanded to know what was going on.

"Grandfather," a voice said from by the door to my right.

"Iroh?" I turned toward the voice to see my grandson standing there. "What is it?"

"Come talk with me," he said.

Leading me through the offices of the building, we finally stopped at one. Using a key, he opened it and told me to sit. Closing the door, he walked around the desk and sat. Then, he put his feet on the desk.

"What do you think?" he asked, a grin on his face.

"Since when do you have your own office?" I asked.

Iroh was inspecting his fingernails. "Since I got a promotion."

"Promotion?" I asked.

"I'm now General Iroh." He slammed his hands wide apart on the desk and stood for effect.

I smiled and laughed at him.

"That makes you the youngest promoted general ever," I said.

"Yes it does." He stood up straight and adjusted his collar.

"Your great-uncle would be proud," I said.

"The one I'm named for?"

"Yes."

Iroh sat back down in his desk chair. "I came across stories about him. My uncle Iroh, I mean." He pulled a scroll down from the shelf next to him. "He was quite an influence in the Earth Kingdom back in the day."

"That he was," I said.

"The Jasmine Dragon, giving a home to the poor family. Reconquering the city, his status as a Grand Lotus in the Order of the White Lotus."

"He was a great man," I said.

"I wish I had known him," my grandson said.

"It was an honor to know him," I said. "He kind of raised me." Iroh looked at me, waiting for me to continue. "Sailing around for three years with him did me a lot of good. If it weren't for his influence, there's no telling how the world would be now. That man nearly changed the course of history by himself."

"If it weren't for him, you would have never taught the previous Avatar bending," Iroh said.

"That's right."

Iroh smiled at me. "I'm glad you did. Speaking of Avatar, I heard the new one is a hot-head."

I smiled, but more in the memory of gentle Aang, not the new Avatar. "I haven't met her yet. And I'm not sure I'll ever get to."

"Oh, Grandfather," Iroh said rolling his eyes. "You're a tough piece of leather. You'll live to be over a hundred easy."

"Maybe," I said.

.o00o.

When my daughter turned twenty, I stepped down from being Fire Lord. I was the first and only Fire Lord to do so. All the others had been overthrown, such as my father, or killed while in power, like my grandfather Azulon.

Iroh hadn't been born yet, but she was already married when she was crowned. Rong was one of the few female Fire Lords in history, but I knew she would make a great one.

Rong would seek my advice on different things. She improved upon my idea for a council for the Nation. Reaching into all corners of our small Nation, she pulled men and women to serve.

They came from all backgrounds and levels of wealth. She also kept the idea of a royal advisor, though the one I had decided to retire when I did. Later, when I decided to become an ambassador, he joined me, saying he didn't want to ever do anything else.

His name was Da, and he became my best friend. Like me, he had been trained in stealth and double swords in his youth. For fun we could have mock-duels as entertainment for our children when they were young.

Being my royal advisor had raised Da's family to a noble status. His wife and children lived across the street from the Royal Palace, where Mai had once lived.

The coronation ceremony of my daughter was much like mine when I was seventeen. A huge feast, fireworks, a large guest list. She added a new feature. Before they crowned her, she asked me to make a speech.

She hadn't mentioned it to me before the ceremony. Instead, she sprung it on me. I had to make up one on the spot, so I talked about something close to my heart – my daughter.

I spoke of my journey to return my honor when I was a teenager. I included Uncle's help and teaching me that I could pave my own path through the world. I publicly announced to the Nation that no matter what my daughter did, she would always have her honor and my love.

"Of course she'll always have honor, it's in the meaning of her name," I had said on the podium.

Rong rose from her crowning chair to surround me in her arms in the middle of the ceremony.

It may not have been the most formal crowning, but it was the best.

.o00o.

I had been in the most remote corners of the world for months. Though telegraphs could travel far, no form of communication could reach me or my ship.

Returning back to the Fire Nation, I was met with a mourning Nation. I rushed to the Palace and found my daughter sobbing on her bed.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Zhao," she cried. She didn't look up at me but continued to cry. I eased onto the bed next to her, pulling her into my arms. I let her drench my tunic in tears for hours.

Eventually, she fell asleep with exhaustion. Soon after, my grandson arrived at the Palace. His father was dead. Zhao had keeled over in a courtyard. The Royal Doctor said he had passed before he had even hit the ground.

The funeral was small and private. Zhao's body was cremated and buried in the Royal Family plot. Rong had hardly stopped crying since I had arrived.

I stayed for months, trying to soothe my child. She was inconsolable, and slowly I watched her slip into a deep depression.

In frustration, I went to the courtyard my mother and I used to sit in. The turtleducks in the pond were the descendants of those I'd fed as a small child. They swam to the edge closest to me, wanting some bread crumbs.

I began to cry. I cried for my daughter's loss, and in memory of those I had lost.

.o00o.

Before becoming an ambassador, I lost Lian.

We shared a marriage bed every night of our life together.

Every morning, I woke her up with a kiss, her body warm beneath my hand.

But one morning, she was cold.

.o00o.

Iroh stayed with us in the Royal Palace. He was the driving force of his mother's acceptance of death and moving her past it.

He was a great man.

While in the Fire Nation, he received the attention of many young women. He humored some of them, taking them out on little dates. But he made no promises to any of them.

When his mother was healed and ready to lead the Nation, he was going to return to his duty as a general.

Only one of them was consistent in her affections. He wrote her letters proclaiming his love while he was back in the military. She began visiting us at the Royal Palace at the insistence of Iroh. Her patience and understanding gave Rong a new outlook on life. My grandson's girl started staying in the Palace regularly, eventually earning her own bedroom across the hall from my daughter's.

.o00o.

Rong was the second child my wife had given birth to. When I was a ripe twenty-one, we had a son. We named him Weimin, the people's hero.

Being our only child, he was destined to become Fire Lord.

When he was three, he made smoke curl from his palms. Lian and I were excited to have a firebender baby.

We were a happy family. Constantly, we visited Ember Island on vacations.

One night, we were at the beach house. Lian and I were woken up with the smell of smoke. Forcing her to go outside and run for help, I rushed to Weimin's room.

From the doorway, the baby's room was engulfed in flame. I couldn't hear any cries, so I tried calling out his name.

It was all in vain. A fire fighter tried to persuade me to go outside. I refused, and instead tried stepping into the wall of flames. It took three strong men to carry me outside.

In the sands of the walkway, a doctor gave me a sedative to knock me out. I woke up in a Fire Nation hospital in the capital. It was there that I learned my son was dead. He had managed to start a fire with his small hands.

Lian held up considerably well compared to myself. I was a wreck for years. It took six long years of blaming myself before I considered having another child.

When I was thirty-four, my beautiful daughter was born. She grew up knowing about her older brother. On his birthday every year, she gave him the proper honor he deserved.

.o00o.

Trouble was brewing in Republic City, the city Aang and I had frontiered.

Rumor had it the new young Avatar was running rampant in its streets and joining a pro bending team of brothers.

She was not unlike Aang in the fact she had run away from home. I guess a spark of rebellion lived in all the avatars. She was his reincarnation.

I could not have dissolved the problems in Republic, nor was it my place to. There were others in charge of it now.

Instead, I journeyed to the South Pole to visit Katara.

She seemed pleasantly surprised to see me. It was colder than I remembered down there, but she had an extra parka for me to borrow.

I stayed in the small ice village for a few weeks. Mostly, I entertained the small water tribe children.

They were the face of innocence. No one from the Fire Nation had ever invaded their home and burnt it. I used my bending for good with them.

I asked them to lead me to the thickest piece of ice they knew of. When we reached it, I began bending fire at it. After half an hour, I had a nice little pool. Quickly I stripped down to my underwear and climbed in.

Using my bending, I kept it warm for the kids to swim. Small heat bubbles rose to the surface as the little children paddled around. They spent an entire afternoon splashing and dunking one another until Katara came out and called them back to the village. She waited with me while I redressed, and we walked back together.

She shared her tent with me, but in the most friendly and modest way. Both of us had dead partners, and we grieved together. I knew she dearly missed the Avatar. She had hoped to find parts of him in the new Avatar, but alas she could not.

"I love my family living in Republic City," she said, "but I have been living for a long time. I miss my husband and my brother."

I smiled sadly at her. "I can still hear Uncle's voice in my head. Even in death he guides me." A small tear slipped down my cheek.

Katara placed her hand over mine, and gently wiped the wet streak from my face. "We'll see them again one day." She gave me a gentle smile, but I only cried harder. She pulled me in her arms, much like a mother would. I let myself cry into her lap until I felt dehydrated.

She fetched some water for me and fixed a nice dinner of seal meat before we sat around our little fire. We compared stories about our grandchildren late into the night. Before laying down for sleep that night, I understood why the Avatar had loved that waterbender.

They were both good people, through and through.

.o00o.

After the death of my wife, I had an unexpected visitor.

A servant announced her arrival, but I didn't believe it until she walked through the doorway.

Mai.

We were in my private sitting room. Mai helped herself and sat across from me.

"Zuko," she said. Her face, now much older, still showed no emotion. Her hair was entirely gray with no sign of the shiny black it had been.

"Mai."

We sat studying each other for a moment. Finally she spoke again.

"I'm sorry about your wife," she said.

"It was peaceful," I said. I didn't tell her that Lian had died next to me.

"I'm sorry about other things, too." Mai never broke eye contact with me.

I opened my mouth but she raised her hand to silence me. "It was wrong of me to leave you. You needed someone to help you. But I just wasn't that person. Lian was the person to help you and love you.

"I did love you, Zuko." Her voice became quiet. "I don't think I ever stopped."

She paused, letting those words sink it before continuing at her regular volume. "I was at your wedding. I never brought you that kind of joy. It was never meant to work out."

Mai looked down at her hands in her lap, wringing one around the other. "You might not care now, but I've had those words inside for decades. I know that almost all of your friends have died. We were once friends, and I think we could be again." She looked into my eyes again, but rose as though she were leaving.

"Mai," I said, and she looked at me, waiting. "Sit down and tell me about your life."

She sat back in the chair, and told me about her life. She had married a rich admiral, but had moved away from the capital city. They lived happily, or as happily as Mai could, and raised five wonderful children. Her husband was still alive, and was now retired. He had nearly exhausted Mai with traveling and vacation. They even returned to the now-abandoned Omashu, touring its old streets and the monster palace Mai had lived in.

When she was done with her story, she rose and bade me goodbye.

"Mai," I said to her retreating back. She half-turned toward me, still intent on leaving. "Mai, I still loved you all these years, too."

She gave me a small half-smile, not showing her teeth, before she walked out of the room.

Mai left me alone again, a much different man than before.


End file.
